The hospitality industry is working with the government and the broader community to ensure people can manage their drinking in a way that reduces intoxication.

The Australian Hotels Association today welcomed calls to make Australians more aware of how much they are drinking.

AHA Director National Affairs Bill Healey said: "The industry has worked hard over recent years to increase
community awareness of what constitutes a standard drink. This is a key part of our efforts to promote a responsible drinking culture. Most drink containers now provide an indication of how many standard drinks they contain."

"The great majority of injuries resulting from alcohol occur because people drink too much," Mr Healey said. "Greater effort is required to ensure people manage their alcohol intake so that they can maintain personal control.

"The majority of alcohol consumption takes place away from licensed premises and increased personal responsibility must provide the foundation for any strategy that seeks to address concerns about risky drinking."

Mr Healey said that most people already realise that not all drinks contain the same amount of alcohol. For example, hotels usually provide 1.5 standard drinks when selling wine by the glass over the bar or in their restaurants, however, he said many drinkers often fail to take into account this difference when they drink. This is why the standard drink concept was introduced.

Mr Healey said the industry believes the level of risky drinking will be reduced if there is greater awareness of what constitutes a standard drink and if people take more care to monitor their intake. The AHA plans to work with the Government and other key organisations, such as the Pharmacy Guild, to further increase community awareness of the importance of the standard drinks logo.