A new study shows Byron Bay, on the New South Wales north coast, is the boozing capital of Australia.

Key points: 31.6 per cent of the population in Byron Bay drink more alcohol at risky levels

31.6 per cent of the population in Byron Bay drink more alcohol at risky levels This is defined as more than two standard drinks per day

This is defined as more than two standard drinks per day Researchers found that the booziest suburbs were made up of wealthier areas

Researchers from the Mitchell Institute at the Victoria University found almost a third of people in the shire were drinking alcohol at risky levels.

The study used a definition of more than two standard drinks a day, although new guidelines released this week recommend no more than 10 drinks a week and no more than four a day.

Byron's rate of 31.6 per cent was just ahead of Cottesloe in Perth, which recorded a risky-drinking rate of 31.5 per cent.

HIGHEST RISKY DRINKING RATES Regional breakdown of data: Australian Health Tracker by area



Byron, NSW 31.6%

Byron, NSW 31.6% Cottesloe, WA 31.5%

Cottesloe, WA 31.5% Mosman Park, WA 31.5%

Mosman Park, WA 31.5% Peppermint Grove, WA 31.5%

Peppermint Grove, WA 31.5% East Fremantle, WA 29.8% Source: National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2017 (latest survey)

Byron Bay is internationally famous as a tourist destination, but Victoria University's Professor of Health Policy, Rosemary Calder, said the figures largely reflected the habits of locals.

"It's the result of a national survey, so it's largely those resident in the area in a particular period of time," she said.

"So it's not reflecting tourists, it's reflecting the population that is there on a given day.

"Which will include some tourists, but they don't outnumber the local population."

Professor Calder said regional areas, and rich metropolitan suburbs, tended to have the highest rates of risky drinking.

"Byron Bay actually brings both of those influencing factors together; there is wealth in Byron Bay and it is a regional area," she said.

"Clearly something else is adding to that, and it may well be the notion that people have of Byron Bay as a place to party."

No surprise for locals

That theory rang true to local man Luke Jolly, who spoke to the ABC while enjoying some afternoon drinks with friends at a Byron Bay hotel.

"That doesn't surprise me at all," he said.

"It's a party town I suppose.

"People come up here to let their hair down, have a party, have a good time — and in Australia risky drinking behaviour often comes along with that."

Byron Bay man Luke Jolly enjoys a drink and says the report is no surprise. ( ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie )

Local hospitality worker Adriana Mijac agreed that the town's party atmosphere was a factor.

"The young boys want to pick up all the backpackers, so they'll go out and drink," she said.

"And it's a town that's full of hospitality, and people that work in hospitality drink after work and then they go out.

"I've had that many friends that have had drinking problems from working in 'hospo' and they've had to leave and work in a cinema or something."

Hospitality worker Adriana Mijac (left) enjoys a drink with a friend at a Byron Bay bar. ( ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie )

The areas with the lowest rates of risky drinking included Greater Dandenong in Victoria (6.5 per cent) and the Sydney suburb of Fairfield (6.6 per cent).

LOWEST RISKY DRINKING RATES Regional breakdown of data: Australian Health Tracker by area:

Greater Dandenong, VIC 6.5%

Greater Dandenong, VIC 6.5% Fairfield, NSW 6.6%

Fairfield, NSW 6.6% Auburn, NSW 7.9%

Auburn, NSW 7.9% Strathfield, NSW 8.4%

Strathfield, NSW 8.4% Brimbank, VIC 8.6% Source: National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 2017

Professor Calder said the lowest-drinking areas were generally lower socio-economic communities with high migrant populations.

"Clearly migrant communities have not adopted the Australian attitude to alcohol," she said.

"They are keeping their cultural patterns, which generally have lower rates of consumption of alcohol.

"What this shows is that individual communities are very different, and we need to understand what is the culture in those communities that is driving this rate of drinking.

"Place is a really important influence on our health, so health policy actually needs to be very carefully tailored to the individual community."

The Australian Health Policy Collaboration, led by the Mitchell Institute, has estimated 5,500 deaths and 157,000 hospital admissions were attributed to alcohol consumption in Australia each year, and alcohol-related harm cost the economy more than $14 billion per annum.