Facts & research
- In New Zealand, most older people drink alcohol, with men more likely to drink than women.
- Older New Zealand Europeans are more likely than older Māori and Pacific adults to drink alcohol.
- Many older people drink alcohol daily or regularly, but usually in smaller amounts than younger people.
- Some older people drink at levels that can lead to physical, psychological or social harm, including health problems and injuries.
- Alcohol and Older Adults: A literature review – This is a comprehensive literature review published by HPA in 2014. It brings together research literature and data on alcohol and older adults from a variety of New Zealand sources and some overseas sources.
- Older but wiser? What do we really know about alcohol drinking among older New Zealanders? [PDF, 2.8MB] – This article (see pages 7-11) was published in HPA’s June 2014 AlcoholNZ magazine. It summarises the findings from the literature review.