Changes in the public perceptions of the health benefits of alcohol use, 1989 to 1994.

Data from a telephone survey of a national quota sample of the Australian community were used to assess changes in the public's perception of the benefits of alcohol use between 1989 and 1994, during which time there was media coverage of a debate about the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. The proportion identifying health benefits of alcohol use increased from 28 per cent in 1990 in New South Wales to 46 per cent in 1994 in Australia. The most commonly identified benefits of alcohol use remained relaxation (54 per cent), followed by cardiovascular benefits (39 per cent), which had not been mentioned in the previous survey. The likelihood of identifying any health benefits of alcohol use was higher among men than women, increased with age to the middle 30s, was higher among those with a tertiary education, and increased with frequency of alcohol use.