[[File:Flag of Australia.png|thumbnail|300px200px|An Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) report indicated that 20% of Australians drink at levels putting them at risk of lifetime harm.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-20/alcohol-to-blame-for-one-in-eight-deaths---report/5102594 One in eight deaths of young Australians attributable to alcohol: National Council on Drugs report] By Jane Mower, Updated 19 Nov 2013, 7:28pm</ref>]][[Atheism|Atheists]] and atheistic cultures often have significant problems with excess alcohol usage (For more information please see: [[Atheism and alcoholism]]). At least 100 studies suggests religion has a positive effect on preventing alcohol-related problems, researchers Christopher Ellison, Jennifer Barrett and Benjamin Moulton noted in an article in the ''Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion'' on “Gender, Marital Status, and Alcohol Behavior: The Neglected Role of Religion.”<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-briggs/charlie-sheen-circus-and-_b_836934.html The Doubled-Edged Sword of Religion and Alcoholism]</ref> See: [[Atheism and alcoholism]] After [[WWII]], [[Australia]] has become a very [[secular]] country.<ref>[Stephanie Painter, Vivienne Ryan and Bethany Hiatt, (15 June 2010). "[https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/7399215/australians-losing-the-faith/ Australians losing the faith]". Newspaper. West Australian Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 15 June 2010</ref>See also: [[Irreligion in Australia]] According to the ''Sydney Morning Herald'':{{Cquote|Australia is one of the least devout countries in the Western world, although two-thirds of its population identifies itself as Christian, an international survey comparing religious expression in 21 countries has found. Religion does not play a central part in the lives of many Australians: 48 per cent of Australians surveyed said they did not partake in personal prayer and 52 per cent said they rarely attended a place of worship for religious reasons.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/world-youth-day/gods-ok-its-just-the-religion-bit-we-dont-like/2008/07/10/1215658037568.html God's OK, it's just the religion bit we don't like]</ref>}}
In the 2011 Australian census, 22.3% of Australians (or 4,796,787 people) identified themselves as having "no religion" which was more than 3 percent higher (and 1,090,232 people more) than in the 2006 census and was the second largest category.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/0?opendocument&navpos=220 |title = 2011 Census QuickStats |date = 30 October 2012 | publisher = Australian Bureau of Statistics|accessdate = 2013-02-25}}</ref> Another 2.014 million (9.4%) were in the "not-stated or inadequately-defined" category: thus more than 31% of Australians did not state a religious affiliation in the 2011 census.<ref>[http://www.quazoo.com/q/Irreligion_in_Australia Irreligion in Ausralia]</ref>
The [[BBC]] declared in 2017:{{Cquote|The vast majority of Australians worry that national drinking habits are excessive, according to new research... The World Health Organization ranks Australia 19th on the global alcohol consumption ladder, ahead of Ireland at 21, the UK at 25, New Zealand at 31, Canada at 40 and the United States at 48.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39715126 Australians worry about alcohol abuse, survey says], BBC, 2017</ref>}} In November of 2013, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation indicated:
{{cquote|ANCD chairman Dr. John Herron says the report shows more work needs to be done to tackle the problem.
== See also ==
*[[Godless Australia, irreligion and obesity]]*[[Irreligious Australia and loneliness]]*[[Irreligious Australia and intelligence]]
*[[Atheism and alcoholism]]
*[[Atheism and health]]
[[Category: Atheism]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category: Alcoholism]]