A growing number of young people are ending up in hospital with severe liver disease, a new report by the Burnet Institute commissioned by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (Fare) warns. Hospital admissions linked to alcohol remain above pre-pandemic levels, after peaking during the covid lockdowns.
The report analysed nearly two decades of health data from Victoria. It covered 4,111 hospital admissions between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2024, as well as clinical data from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2024. When the covid lockdowns began in March 2020, treatment for alcoholic hepatitis surged. Treatment remains significantly above pre-pandemic levels.
Lead researcher Professor Jessica Howell said the increase was linked to a range of factors related to the 'general stress' and 'uncertainty' of the lockdowns. She highlighted that the report 'cannot specifically distinguish causes', but noted that alcohol availability increased because it could be ordered for home delivery, which, she said, 'really led to an escalation'.
Men accounted for the majority of cases, 62.5 per cent of admissions for hepatitis associated with alcohol, but a 'sharp rise' was recorded among women. Howell attributed the rise in excessive drinking among women to stress during the pandemic, particularly for those who were primary carers and simultaneously managing school, work and home. She added that a smaller proportion of women were at home exposed to violent domestic situations and, due to the lockdowns, were unable to escape.
According to the data, 14 per cent of people admitted for alcoholic hepatitis across the state were under 35 years old. The report warns that a significant proportion of people with severe alcohol-related liver disease are under 40 years old.
James O'Beirne, a professor of hepatology at Sunshine Coast Hospital and Griffith University, said he believed these trends could 'undoubtedly' be recognised in other states and territories with further research. He noted anecdotal evidence of such a trend in his own work. 'Every week on the wards we have people under 50 with very advanced liver disease and cirrhosis complications,' O'Beirne said. 'We see people being admitted in their 30s with severe liver disease.'
O'Beirne highlighted that women appear to be more susceptible to alcohol-related liver disease than men due to smaller body size. While it is true that young people generally drink less alcohol, there is a subset that drinks significantly more, he said. 'A small minority of young people actually drink enormous amounts of alcohol,' O'Beirne said. He expressed concern that changing drinking habits among young women 'lead to very advanced liver disease at an earlier age'. He added that it is widely accepted that women now drink much more than before and that the concept of 'wine o'clock' seen on social media encourages the normalisation of regular drinking.
Howell said the figures have 'not returned to normal' and she fears they may not return because a 'new baseline of admissions for alcoholic hepatitis' has been established. Ayla Chorley, chief executive of Fare, said the report 'brings to light that harm associated with alcohol is very real'. 'Alcohol harm is on the streets, outside nightclubs and pubs, and now we see it happening in the home,' Chorley said.
She emphasised that the findings point to the need for greater harm reduction measures, including restrictions on alcohol availability, regulation and marketing. She added that the alcohol industry has very successfully individualised the condition, saying that responsible drinking is a personal choice, thereby diminishing social expectations and cultural norms around alcohol consumption. People ask themselves: 'Have I done something wrong? What is wrong with me? Why can't I stop?' Chorley said, adding that this is 'absolutely not their fault'. Alcohol, she concluded, is a harmful product, 'addictive by design and by nature'.
