Survey shows Australian adults experience more hangovers, often pressured to drink

Australia's affliction with alcohol sees its adults spending 91.5 million hours of every month hung-over, according to data released on Monday.

A survey of 1,030 Australian drinkers by fundraiser group Dry July, which encourages Australians to give up alcohol consumption for a month, showed Australians are being pressured to drink, and many considered alcohol integral to social gatherings.

More than half (52 percent) of the survey's respondents admitted they have felt pressure to drink alcohol in social situations, including with friends, at family gatherings and on public holidays. Half of drinkers consider it "un-Australian" not to drink at these occasions.

Five in six find it easy to resist peer pressure when they have a legitimate excuse not to drink, such as driving, being pregnant, training for a fitness event or being sick, but those who did pick up the bottle could affect the nation's productivity.

The figures showed Australian adults have 11 hangovers a year and one in five have taken multiple sick days to nurse a sore head. Three in five admitted they have experienced low productivity at work due to being hung-over.

Nearly half (44 percent) have skipped significant social events as a result of being hung over, including dates, birthday celebrations and even weddings.

Brett Macdonald, co-founder of Dry July, which encourages Australians to give up alcohol consumption for a month, said the research had uncovered some sobering facts about social pressures faced by Australians when it comes to drinking.

"It also found that 21 percent of Australians have not gone for more than a week without drinking in the last five years," he said. "This is why we're encouraging everyone to take the Dry July challenge and see what can be achieved without a hangover." Endi