Based on an analysis of national drug strategy household surveys, a study has found about two-thirds of men and a third of women still over-estimate the amount of alcohol they can safely consume in a single session before putting their own health at risk.
About a third of men are also unable to state the new daily standard drink limit recommended under the new guidelines, says the recently released perceptions of low-risk drinking study.
In fact, 95 per cent of individuals surveyed could not correctly identify the exact recommended levels of safe drinking in Australia.
"It is clear that most Australians are not aware of the recommendations in the 2009 guidelines," the Centre for Alcohol Police Research study said.
"For these guidelines to contribute in any major way to reducing the harm from alcohol, a coordinated and substantial dissemination campaign is required, with a particular focus on high-risk population groups."
These assertions are likely to gain the attention of hospitality operators throughout the country - in particular owners and managers of pubs, bars, clubs, licensed restaurants and casinos - who hold a legal and moral responsibility toward the safe provision of alcohol.
With the findings potentially indicating that a high percentage of Australians put themselves in situations of intoxication that may increase health and injury risks, it follows that industry members are in a strong position to help patrons adhere to recommendations as closely as possible.
Centre researcher Michael Livingston asserted that men, young people and heavy consumers of alcohol in particular are guilty of a lack of understanding of the topic.
"It's clear that there is a group of people who are putting themselves at quite serious risk of harm and that's an area we should be working in and improving knowledge in," he said.
Three years ago, new health directives on alcohol consumption were introduced by the country's top medical research body.
The National Health and Medical Research Council's guidelines state both men and women should consume only two standard drinks a day. A standard drink is equivalent to 100ml of wine, or one can or stubbie of mid-strength beer.
Drinking no more than four standard drinks in a single six-hour period is also considered to be the upper limit to reduce the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that session.
Pregnant women and anyone aged under 18 are also advised to abstain entirely from alcohol. There has been some improvement, however, in the number of people learning the new guidelines.
Research comparing the 2007 and 2010 household surveys shows the number of men correctly stating the limit as two standard drinks increased from 55.5 per cent to 64.3 per cent.
Younger people, however, appear to be the largest group who over-estimate safe levels of alcohol consumption, the study said.
More than 5000 Australians are diagnosed with an alcohol-related cancer each year, according to the Cancer Council.
