The extent and diversity of harm from the drinking of unknown others in Australia: An analysis of data from during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: This paper aims to produce a comprehensive estimate of alcohol's harm to others (AHTO) from strangers among Australia adults in 2021. This survey was undertaken during COVID-19 and aims to compare AHTO results with those from 12 years before and identify differences across socio-demographics. Methods: Cross-sectional data of 2574 Australian adults were collected in November 2021 via two survey modes: random digit dialling and the Life in Australia (TM) panel. Questions pertained to harms from the drinking of known and unknown others ('strangers') in the previous 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression is used to analyse differences in the experience of AHTO from strangers across age, gender and other socio-demographics. Results: Under half of Australian adults reported experiencing AHTO from a stranger (42.2%) during the period of COVID-19. Women were at significantly higher odds of reporting harm than men. Significantly higher percentages of participants aged 18-49 reported harm than those 65 and over. Rates of experience of harm from strangers' drinking varied between different Australian regions. Adults engaging in less frequent risky drinking (less than 4 days a month) reported significantly greater experiences of harm than those not engaging in risky drinking in the past year. Discussion and Conclusions: The current study provides a national estimate of AHTO from strangers in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding greater risk of experiencing AHTO from strangers among women than men differs from previous AHTO literature, and further research is required to determine if this is an emerging trend.