Alcohol use disorder: an Australian perspective on screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Alcohol is one of Australia's most harmful recreational drugs, contributing more to death, disease and economic harm than all illicit drugs combined. Though it accounts for 4.1% of the national disease burden, it remains under-prioritised in health policy, prevention and treatment. Most of this harm is downstream of hazardous alcohol consumption and untreated alcohol use disorder (AUD), a common but stigmatised condition that is under-recognised and rarely treated with evidence-based therapies. Alcohol-related harm falls disproportionately on First Nations peoples, rural communities and socioeconomically disadvantaged Australians. Epidemiological trends are alarming: hospitalisations for alcohol-related liver disease are rising, and emerging data show a causal link between alcohol and early-onset colorectal cancer. These findings underscore alcohol's role as both a hepatotoxin and a multisystem carcinogen, with harms manifesting at younger ages and lower levels of consumption than previously recognised. Despite clear evidence that no level of alcohol use is safe, misconceptions persist, fuelled by industry influence and inconsistent public health messaging. Evidence-based treatments exist but are underused: only 2.9% of Australians with AUD receive approved pharmacotherapy, and delays to treatment average 18 years. Population-level strategies such as taxation, pricing and marketing restrictions remain the most effective levers, but progress is weak, as illustrated by the repeal of minimum unit pricing in the Northern Territory. Clinicians play a central role in reframing hazardous drinking and AUD as the root cause of alcohol-related disease and in advocating for evidence-based, patient-centred care and policy. Addressing AUD directly offers the clearest path to reducing Australia's alcohol burden.