Nearly half of Australians want to drink less. So, why don’t they?

A new survey by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) found 44 per cent of Australians would like to cut back on drinking or quit altogether. Why then, if they’d like to, don’t they?

Maz Compton was asking herself the same question in 2014.

“The best feeling ever”: Maz Compton says her life changed for the better when she gave up alcohol.Credit: Wolter Peeters

“I was like, ‘OK, I want to stop doing this thing, but I keep doing it. I’m a smart person. Why am I making a dumb decision?’” recalls the breakfast radio host and author of Last Drinks.

The 44-year-old felt uneasy about the vacuum giving up alcohol would leave in her life, as it had become a “one-size-fits-all coping mechanism”, as well as the lubricant in her relationships.

“Most things on the calendar of the average Australian adult revolve around alcohol, as do most of our friendships. So what happens if I don’t want to drink any more? Am I going to lose all of my friends? Am I not going to know how to have fun any more?”

More than 75 per cent of the adult population in Australia drink alcohol. Although we typically drink less than we used to and sobriety is on trend, drinking is still often the default.

So, as humans who crave connection, cutting back or quitting requires us to change our rituals, figure out different ways to bond as well as stop an automatic, often encouraged behaviour.

“That’s a hard thing to do,” admits FARE chief executive Caterina Giorgi, who adds that “predatory online marketing” by the alcohol industry doesn’t help.

And despite there being greater acceptance of people not drinking than in the past, the risk of alienation and judgment remains.

“You say, ‘I want to quit drinking’, people go, ‘What’s wrong? Are you OK? Were you an alcoholic?’” says Compton. “There are so many scary things about giving up drinking initially that it can cripple people into staying stuck.”

Three-quarters of those surveyed said they wanted to improve their physical health; half said they wanted to improve their mental health; and more than a third (37 per cent) wanted better sleep.

Cutting back or quitting can do more than improve our mood and sleep. It can affect our likelihood of cancer.

At the beginning of January, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy cited evidence that consuming alcohol increases the risk of at least seven different types of cancer, and called for cancer warnings to be added to alcoholic beverages, similar to those displayed on tobacco product packaging.

Compton tried picturing alcohol as a bad friend.Credit: Wolter Peeters

It’s welcome and long overdue, says Giorgi. For those wanting to drink less or give up, FARE has a new hub, providing resources, tips and tools to be able to do that.

While some people genuinely do need to remove alcohol from of their lives, reducing their intake works for others.

“Our data (from over 2 million people who have successfully cut back) shows us that people can successfully moderate their drinking with the right strategies and support,” says Vedant Pradeep, co-founder of alcohol-related habit change app Reframe.

For Compton, getting clarity on the negative impact was a necessary part of disentangling. She tried picturing alcohol as a person she named Jenny, who she hung out with “pretty much” every day.

“She always made me feel rubbish the next day, along with shame and guilt,” Compton recalls. “If I said this story out loud to a friend, they would be like, ‘You need to stop hanging out with that friend. That friend is toxic’.”

It gave her the perspective she needed to take action: “If nothing changes, nothing changes.”

On January 1, 2015, she decided to take a break from her “bad friend” and reassess at the end of the month.

“When I stopped drinking, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to die of boredom’. I had so much time on my hands, which is an indication of how much I was drinking.”

Still, the novelty of not drinking made it relatively easy at first. She shifted quickly from being a night owl to an early bird, opted for brunches instead of dinners, and put herself in social situations where alcohol would’ve been “weird”.

It was six months in, when the novelty had worn off, that she wobbled.

“People drink to manage stress, anxiety, social discomfort and emotional pain. It’s also deeply woven into social traditions and celebrations,” says Pradeep. “So, the real barrier to cutting back isn’t just the drinking itself, but addressing the underlying reasons why people turn to alcohol.”

When alcohol has been a person’s sole coping mechanism, they may need to develop new ways to handle work stress, socialise or face difficult emotions they’ve been numbing, Pradeep adds.

When Compton removed the mask alcohol provided, she saw “a very sad and lonely person” who had shoved down the traumatic experiences in her life. She muddled her way through the discomfort, one day at a time, journaling and discovering empathy for herself.

Slowly she got to “the other side”. There were the initial vanity benefits: better digestion, skin and hair as well as brighter eyes and less puffiness.

“But the deeper layer benefits are all the internal ones, and mainly to do with the big lump of fat in your head, because your brain starts working properly,” says Compton.

She found greater creativity, patience, mental clarity and capacity to cope. In the 10 years since she last had a drink, Compton has found something that surpasses the feeling alcohol ever gave her.

“I haven’t had a hangover for 10 years straight,” she says. “It’s like the best feeling ever.”

Vedant Pradeep’s tips for cutting down or quitting alcohol

 1. Set specific, measurable goals rather than vague intentions. Instead of “drink less”, decide exactly what moderation means for you, whether that’s limiting drinks per occasion, having alcohol-free days or both. Writing these goals down or tracking them in an app can help maintain accountability. Remember that change is a journey, not a destination. Focus on progress rather than perfection. If you have a setback, treat it as a learning opportunity rather than a failure.  

2. When strong urges hit, use the 20-minute rule: set a timer and wait it out. Most cravings naturally subside within 20 minutes, and if you still want a drink after that time, you can make a more conscious choice rather than acting on impulse.  

3. Many people don’t realise that physical factors play a crucial role. Maintain stable blood sugar by eating protein-rich meals every four to five hours, and stay well-hydrated. What feels like an alcohol craving is often your body signalling hunger or thirst.  

4. Have specific coping strategies ready before you need them. For instance, plan exactly what you’ll do when stress hits, whether it’s calling a friend, going for a walk or listening to an urge surfing video.

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