August 6 2007, by ninemsn staff

Australia's culture of binge drinking is of concern to an overwhelming majority of ninemsn readers.

After experts warned this morning that one in eight Australian adults were at serious risk of alcohol-related permanent brain damage, ninemsn was flooded with comments from alarmed readers.

According to a survey commissioned by non-profit alcohol treatment group Arbias, 70 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women have no idea how much alcohol puts them at risk of brain damage.

Six or more standard drinks a day for a male aged over eight years is enough to put him at significant risk of brain injury. A woman will be at the same risk with just four or more standard drinks per day.

It was these uneducated young drinkers that worried ninemsn readers the most.

"Alcohol is a drug like any other and should be treated as such," said one ninemsn reader.

"It is so deeply entrenched in society that life is not fun unless you are having a drink, that we need a drink to relax after work or that everyone drinks so it is perfectly OK."

Of the almost 200 people who posted comments, more than 85 per cent expressed grave concerns about Australia's drinking culture.

One female reader, who had recently been overseas, said binge drinking was far worse here than abroad.

"Having just returned to Australia after several years in London and New York, the appalling attitude toward drinking in this country by both men and women has been extremely obvious to me," she said.

"Men look at a woman who say no to another drink like she's from another planet — they just don't understand that you're have a better time having just one or two drinks than you will getting drunk."

Readers were also keen to stress that excess alcohol consumption can cause more than health problems.

"It is a huge factor in road accidents, domestic violence, family break-ups, suicides and juvenile problems daily," said Flip from Queensland.

"Banning the advertising, as was done with tobacco, would be start. Addressing the social problems, and reasons people drink to excess, is the real solution."

However, a small number of readers believed the issue of alcohol abuse was being exaggerated, and paled in comparison with the use of recreational drugs.

"As far as mind-altering drugs go, I would much prefer to binge on the odd occasion with alcohol and have some idea as to what lays ahead as opposed to popping a pill or snorting a line, and writing myself off for the next three days," one reader said.

"Anything is dangerous when taken out of moderation, but alcohol seems the lesser of two evils."

Link to story on ninemsn website: 'Boozy culture' worries ninemsn readers