Kiwis unsure of measuring a 'standard drink', drink-driving limits - study

A new study has shown most Kiwis can't identity what a standard drink it is, and there's major confusion around our drink driving limit. 

Research conducted by the Alcohol&Me program, run by Lion Breweries, shows most Kiwis are unfamiliar with the nation's recommended 'healthy drinking' guidelines.

Of the 800 people surveyed, three quarters were unable to accurately identify how many standard drinks are in the most common alcoholic beverages and only 17 percent were able to identify the correct drink driving limit.         

Alcohol&Me representative Jude Walter says the survey highlights Kiwis need education around alcohol.

"Put simply, an adult body can only process one standard drink an hour, regardless of your age, size or how much you've eaten and there's no way to speed that up," she explains.

"So when you're drinking a typical five percent bottle of beer or cider at a bar or BBQ, it will take the body 1.3 hours to process the alcohol in that bottle."

The survey also revealed Kiwis are planning to drink less in 2019: a quarter said they were planning on lowering their alcohol intake, and many said they have a desire not to get drunk.

The research backs up data from The Tomorrow Project in 2012, which showed 47 percent of New Zealanders wanted to change their drinking habits.  Late last year an expert warned that the Kiwi wine industry is under threat as millennials choose to drink less.

Recent Nielsen data shows that 'lighter beer options' are growing in value and volume by about 20 percent and products like Kombucha have skyrocketed  growing at a whopping 800 percent from 2016 - 2018.

Newshub.