Australians commemorate Anzac Day on 25th April, the anniversary of the day when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed on Gallipoli in 1915. Anzac Day is a time for all Australians to recognise the more than 1.5 million service men and women who have served our country in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations since WW1.
Observing Anzac Day doesn't have to centre around alcohol or gambling, there are many ways to be inspired by the Anzac spirit and remember and reflect on the sacrifices service men and women have made and continue to make for our country.
Here are some ways to celebrate and honour Anzac Day
- Attend a dawn service and listen to the haunting sound of the last post.
- Have a “gunfire breakfast" without the rum.
- Attending an Anzac Day March in your local area can be a powerful and emotional experience. The Sydney ANZAC Day March brings the Sydney CBD to a standstill as over 10,000 current serving members and veterans of the Australian Defence Force file past the Anzac Memorial to pay their respects to the fallen.
- Bake Anzac biscuits for your friends and family.
- Have a movie marathon with one of these Anzac-inspired films.
- Teach your children about the Anzacs with one of these books.
- Start training for the Kokoda track.
If you do plan on drinking this Anzac Day here are a few tips on reducing the effect on your health and wellbeing.
- Try to have at least one glass of water or no sugar, non-alcoholic drink for every alcoholic drink.
- Avoid buying rounds so that you can pace yourself, and sip slowly.
- Keep track of your intake. Before you start drinking decide how many drinks you'll have and monitor your intake. Also, wait until your glass is empty rather than topping it up when it's half full.
- Eat before and during alcohol consumption. This will help to slow down your drinking as well as also slow down the absorption of alcohol. The more slowly you drink the easier it is to monitor your drinking and you will be less likely to accidentally drink too much.
- Don't mix alcohol with other drugs. Using alcohol at the same time as any other drug can be dangerous. Learn more about drug combinations by browsing the A-Z of Drugs and keep an eye on NSW Heath for any public drug warnings.
- Don't drive. Alcohol affects your ability to drive safely and trying to drive or ride home puts you and other road users in danger. For your own safety and the wellbeing of others, have a Plan B to get home.
Know how much is too much
Before you start drinking, decide how much you want to drink and stick to it.
A 'standard drink' contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. This is about 285 ml of full-strength beer, a can of mid-strength beer, 100 ml of wine, or a single shot of spirits. You can use our interactive Standard Drink Calculator to test your pour.
According to the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol, the less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol:
- For healthy adults - To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
- 18 years of age and under - To reduce the risk of injury and other harm to health, children and people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding - To prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.
For more on the 'Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol' and what they mean for reducing harm, read the 2020 Australian guidelines on alcohol released.
Useful links for support and more information about Alcohol
- Unsure if you are drinking too much? Try our online confidential Alcohol Risk Assessment Tool to determine if your drinking is putting you at risk.
- The Daybreak app allows you to track your alcohol intake via personalised goals, with the ability to visually monitor your consumption. You can also join a non-judgmental peer community of people for advice and support and access a list of over 100 suggested activities to help with your alcohol behaviour change goals.
- You can also take advantage of the free NSW telephone-based coaching service Get Healthy. The Get Healthy program is designed to support you to make healthy lifestyle changes and reduce your alcohol consumption. The NSW Get Healthy Service is available Mon – Fri 8am – 8pm. To enroll call 1300 806 258 or register online at gethealthynsw.com.au/alcohol.
- For free and confidential advice 24/7 call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 250 015. Counsellors are available to provide information, referrals, crisis counselling and support. Or start a Web Chat with an ADIS counsellor online Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm.
General Support Services for Veterans and their families
If you, or someone you know, need assistance or support, you can contact:
- The Commonwealth Department of Veterans Affairs helps provide support and services to the veteran community, including health care, income support, compensation, and other support arrangements. More information can be found on the DVA website or by calling '1800 VETERAN' (1800 838 372).
- Open Arms Provides free and confidential counselling to anyone who has served at least one day in the ADF, and their families. You can call them on 1800 011 046.
- Contact Soldier On at 1300 620 380. Soldier On offers free programs and services to provide the tools and support you and your family need to lead a meaningful civilian life.
- Defence All-hours Support Line is a 24/7 confidential telephone service for Australian Defence Force members and their families. It is available at 1800 624 608
Safe Zone Support (Afghanistan veterans support line) — Ph 1800 142 072
An anonymous counselling service that supports serving members, veterans and their families, with specialist counsellors who have a specific understanding to help those impacted by the unrest in Afghanistan. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
