Non-drinkers are regarded "as a bit suspicious", a University of Adelaide student studying the alcohol habits of Australians says.

"Drinking is for many people something that is very ingrained in their social life, something they tend to do with friends and it has a lot of meaning attached to it ... to celebrate, to commiserate, to celebrate achievements," Ashlea Bartram told 891 ABC Adelaide.

"To not drink risks losing all those meanings that we attached to the drinking. You're rejecting not just the drink, but the celebration and all the experiences."

For her PhD, Ms Bartram is studying people over the age of 25 because she says there has been quite a bit of research done into younger drinkers.

"Alcohol's something that permeates our society right through the age groups," the public health student said.

"I'm looking at people who've made a substantial change, either stopped drinking or cut back within the last year."

Listeners were keen to share their views via text messages as Ms Bartram outlined her research.

"As someone who doesn't drink, I find it easier at social functions now to just have a red wine that I hold," said one.

"No-one notices that you don't actually drink it, but they notice and go on and on if you don't have one in your hand."

Ms Bartram agreed the perception you were drinking alcohol made it easier to get on with others in some social settings.

"The other one that's quite common is the glass of soda water with the lime wedge in it. It could easily [be assumed to] have vodka in it," she said.

'Moral tone' surrounds alcohol use

Another listener Jack said: "I drink very little alcohol in relation to my friends and I get the sense they feel I'm judging them when they get boozy, that I'm taking the high moral ground or something."

Ms Bartram said there seemed to be a strong moral tone around alcohol and its use.

"I don't know if this goes right back to your prohibition era and the temperance movement," she said.

"It can be another one of those reasons why you don't want to make too big a deal about not drinking."

Listener Matt, aged 24, summed up a common view which was expressed in the text messages sent to 891 ABC Adelaide.

"People do expect you to explain yourself when you're not drinking," he wrote.

It also was suggested women might face the suspicion they were pregnant if they were not drinking alcohol.

"Pregnancy [questions] are certainly one that women of a certain age encounter," Ms Bartram agreed.

Listener Jo wrote that pregnancy might not be people's only suspicion of someone who was not drinking in a social setting.

"I don't drink and am constantly having to explain I am not an alcoholic," her text said.

Alcohol advertising can reinforce community perceptions

Ms Bartram said advertising helped cement community perceptions about alcohol use.

Fun times and alcohol use are linked in advertising messages, a PhD student says. ( AAP: April Fonti )

"It helps to build those images that we have in our head where we associate alcohol with particular occasions like sport or like relaxing at a party or a beach or something like that," she said.

"We see these images in those advertisements and we think perhaps we can have that emotion too if we drink alcohol."

As for drink-driving ad campaigns and laws promoting safe driving, Ms Bartram said: "The changes around driving and alcohol have definitely made it a little bit easier."

"There are people who are not drinking on occasions or will cut things short earlier in the night," she said.

"In fact that has become an excuse that some people seem to use a lot of the time, they'll put their hand up to be the designated driver. People get that."

Anyone over 25 who has made a significant change to their drinking habits in the past year and would like to join the research can contact Ms Bartram in Adelaide on 8313 6880.