Reduce harm: injury, alcohol and emerging harms

Reducing harm from injury

Injury is a major public health issue in Victoria. For people aged 1 to 44 it’s the leading cause of death. It also results in long-term disability for many people. The most common causes of injury include falls, self-harm, transport incidents, drowning and poisoning. Each year, injury leads to over 2,000 deaths and 400,000 hospitalisations in Victoria (Injury Prevention Victoria, 2024).

Injury from falls

Boroondara’s rate of hospital admission due to falls was 903.20 per 100,000 population in 2022-23. Almost a quarter of Boroondara’s residents are aged 60 and over. This age group are most at risk of hospitalisation due to falls, with 2,822.10 per 100,000 population admitted to hospital due to a fall in 2022-23, higher than Victoria’s rate of 2,643 per 100,000 for the 60+ age group (Victoria Injury Atlas 2022/23).

Figure 1: Hospitalisation by fall Boroondara and Victoria, by all ages, and 60+
Source: Victoria Injury Atlas 2022/23

The rate of hospitalisations due to falls per 100,000 people across 4 financial years (2019–20 to 2022–23) for Boroondara and Victoria. Two lines represent people aged 60 and over, and 2 represent all ages. Rates are higher for people aged 60+ in both areas. Boroondara residents aged 60+ has the highest rates each year, peaking at 2,822 in 2022–23. Boroondara residents from all ages ranges from 877 to 920. Victorian’s aged 60+ ranges from 2,606 to 2,677, and Victorian residents of all ages from 846 to 879

Unintentional injury

Similar results are seen across unintentional injury hospital admissions, with the 65+ age group for both Boroondara and Victoria seeing a higher rate per 100,000 population.

Figure 2: Hospitalisation by unintentional injury Boroondara and Victoria, by all ages, and 65+
Unintentional injury includes: transport, cutting/piercing, overexertion and/or strenuous movements, poisoning, fall, fires/burns/scalds, natural/environmental/animals, hit/struck/crush, machinery
Source: Victoria Injury Atlas 2022/23

rates of hospitalisation due to unintentional injury per 100,000 people from 2019–20 to 2022–23, comparing Boroondara and Victoria overall and for people aged 65 and over. Rates are highest for people aged 65+, with Boroondara frequently exceeding Victoria. In 2022–23, Boroondara residents aged 65+ recorded 4,367 hospitalisations per 100,000 compared to 4,143 for Victoria. For all ages, Boroondara residents ranged from 1,737 to 1,821, and Victorian residents from 1,593 to 1,733 across the 4 years.

Transport injury

Transport injury hospitalisations in Boroondara and Victoria have fluctuated over the past 4 financial years.

Figure 3: Hospitalisation rates per 100,00 population by transport injury Boroondara and Victoria, by all ages and 65+. Transport injury includes pedestrians, pedal cyclists, motorcycle riders, car occupants and occupants of other land transport vehicles injured in transport crashes.
Source: Victorian Injury Atlas 2022-23

Figure 3 is a line chart showing transport injury hospitalisation rates per 100,000 people from 2019–20 to 2022–23, across 4 groups. Victoria all ages: 217, 230, 216, 209, Victoria aged 65+: 204, 186, 181, 200, Boroondara aged 65+: 227, 207, 249, 196, Boroondara all ages: 165, 186, 182, 153

Over the past decade, transport injury hospitalisation rates in Boroondara have been highest among residents aged 65+, particularly those aged 85+, whose rate is 119 points higher than the overall Boroondara rate of 169.5 per 100,000. Males have recorded more than double the rate of females across the period (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Hospitalisation rates per 100,00 population by transport injury Boroondara for the period 2012/13 to 2022/23
Transport injury includes pedestrians, pedal cyclists, motorcycle riders, car occupants and occupants of other land transport vehicles injured in transport crashes.
Source: Victorian Injury Atlas 2022-23

Transport injury hospitalisation rates per 100,000 population in Boroondara from 2012/13 to 2022/23, split by age group and sex. Rates for residents aged 65+ are higher than other groups, 65-84 at a rate of 202.8, and with those aged 85+ at 289.2 peaking well above the overall Boroondara rate of 169.5. Males have more than double the rate of females across the period, 235.9 compared to 107.4 for females.

Alcohol-related harm

Alcohol is a significant preventable cause of poor health and wellbeing in Boroondara. Alcohol consumption places people at increased risk of more than 200 physical and mental illnesses. Episodes of heavy drinking place the drinker and others at risk of injury or death (WHO 2023).

Despite the risks, Australians have low awareness of health guidelines for alcohol consumption, and most are unaware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer (Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education 2020).

Self-reported alcohol consumption

There’s no safe limit for alcohol consumption. In 2020 the National Health and Medical Research Council revised the Australian alcohol guidelines, recommending:

healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than 4 standard drinks in any one day
people under 18 years should not drink alcohol
women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not drink alcohol.

Lifetime risk from alcohol-related harm includes many types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and illness such as cirrhosis of the liver, dementia and other cognitive problems. Short-term alcohol-related harm can include road crashes, falls, drowning, suicide and acute alcohol toxicity (National Health and Medical Research Council 2020).

The Victorian Population Health Survey 2023 reports the proportion of Victorians at increased risk of alcohol-related disease or injury is 13.1%, with Victorians aged 65 to 74 the most at risk age group (18.5%). Men in metropolitan Melbourne are more likely to be at increased risk, at 16.5% compared to 7.4% for women.

Many adults (18+) in Boroondara report alcohol consumption patterns that put them at risk of alcohol-related harm (Figure 5).

Figure 5: A slightly higher percentage of Boroondara residents are at increased risk of alcohol-related harm compared to metropolitan Melbourne
Data Source: Victorian Population Health Survey Dashboard, 2023

Figure 5 is a column chart which shows the proportion of Boroondara residents (aged 18+) who in the 2023 Victorian Population Health Survey reported levels of drinking that place them at risk of alcohol related injury, disease or harm, 17.7% are abstainers. 65.5% are at a reduced risk and 14.4% are at an increased risk. Metro Melbourne has 22.2% abstainers, 64.6% at reduced risk and 11.8% at increased risk.

Indicators of alcohol-related harm

The following information was sourced from Turning Points’ AODstats portal.

Hospital admissions of Boroondara residents for alcohol-related events increased after 2019-20 (+26%). Deaths of Boroondara residents from alcohol-related events, and alcohol-related ambulance attendances to Boroondara locations ranged between 200 and 300 per 100,000 population for most of the 10 years to 2021 (the most recent data available) (Figure 6).

Figure 6: The rate (per 100,000 residents) of hospital admissions of Boroondara residents for alcohol-related events has increased. Deaths and ambulance attendances have remained more stable.
Note: Deaths data is for calendar year. Hospitalisation and ambulance attendance data is for the financial year beginning with the labelled year. For example, the 2021 axis point for ambulance attendances shows data for the 2021-22 financial year.
Data Source: Turning Point 2024, AODstats - Victorian alcohol and drug statistics

Figure 6 is a line chart which shows that between 2012 and 2021 the alcohol related hospital admission rate for Boroondara residents varied between 881 (in 2013) to 1416 (in 2021). Deaths ranged between a maximum of 260 (in 2013) to a minimum of 213 (in 2014). Ambulance attendances to alcohol intoxication related events in Boroondara saw a low of 173 per 100,000 residents in 2013 and a high of 295 per 100,000 residents in 2019.

Figure 7: Ambulance attendances to Boroondara locations are lower per 100,000 than across metropolitan Melbourne, but Boroondara residents are more likely to be admitted to hospital or die from alcohol-related causes.
Data Source: Turning Point 2024, AODstats - Victorian alcohol and drug statistics

while ambulance attendances to Boroondara locations are lower per 100,000 than across metropolitan Melbourne (202 relative to 364), Boroondara residents are more likely to be admitted to hospital (833 compared to 586) or to die from alcohol-related causes (143 compared to 126) than residents across metropolitan Melbourne.

Figures 8 through 10 show the age and sex profile of those impacted by alcohol-related harms.

Figure 8: In Boroondara during 2022-23, males and those aged 35-44 were more likely to be attended by an ambulance for alcohol-intoxication related events.
Data Source: Turning Point 2024, AODstats - Victorian alcohol and drug statistics, Rate of ambulance attendances for alcohol intoxication-related events, with or without involvement of other drugs per 100,000 population

A column chart which shows that the demographic category at greatest risk of ambulance attendance related to alcohol and with or without other substances suspected, was people aged 35-44, with a rate of 331 per 100,000 compared to 202 for Boroondara as a whole. Males and people aged 55-64 were also considerably above the overall Boroondara rate, with rates of 278 and 281 respectively.

Figure 9: Among Boroondara residents during 2021-22, those aged 45-64 were most likely to be admitted to hospital for alcohol-related events.
Data Source: Turning Point 2024, AODstats - Victorian alcohol and drug statistics, Rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions per 100,000 population

a column chart which shows demographic categories by risk of hospital admission related to alcohol. Boroondara residents aged 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, were at greatest risk with a rate of 1489 and 1377 per 100,000 respectively, compared to 833 for Boroondara as a whole. Males were also considerably above the overall Boroondara rate, with a rate of 1046.

Figure 10: During 2021, Boroondara residents aged 65+ were most likely to die from alcohol-related events.
Data Source: Turning Point 2024, AODstats - Victorian alcohol and drug statistics, alcohol-related deaths

a column chart which shows demographic categories by risk of death related to alcohol. Boroondara residents aged 65+ are at greatest risk with a rate per 100,000 population of 672, well above the Boroondara rate of 143. Females are the only other demographic above the Boroondara rate, at 164.

Harm from emerging challenges

Immunisation

Tracking immunisation coverage helps us understand how well the community is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. Childhood immunisation coverage refers to the percentage of children who have received all age-appropriate vaccines listed in the National Immunisation Schedule.

To achieve herd immunity against measles—one of the most contagious diseases—a coverage rate of 92%–94% is required. As a result, Australia has set a national target of 95% coverage, which also serves as an aspirational benchmark for other vaccine-preventable diseases. Boroondara has achieved the national target of 95% for only the vaccinations due at 6 months (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Proportion of fully vaccinated children by age group for Boroondara and Victoria, June 2024
Source: NEPHU Population Profile 2025

a bar chart that compares immunisation coverage at 3 age milestones: 6 months, 12 & 18 months, and 4 years. At 6 months, Boroondara (95.1%) meets the national target of 95%, while Victoria is slightly below at 92.9%. At 12 & 18 months, both regions fall short: Boroondara at 92.3% and Victoria at 91.2%. At 4 years, Boroondara’s coverage drops to 91.6%, while Victoria is just below the target at 94.5%

Adolescent vaccination rates have much lower rates of coverage than childhood immunisations.

Nationally there is a target of 90% for:

Diphtheria, Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis (DTP)
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Meningococcal.

Boroondara meets the target for HPV only (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Proportion of adolescents who have had vaccines by age 20 (DTP and HPV, at least 1 dose) for Boroondara and Victoria, June 2024
Source: NEPHU Population Profile 2025

a bar chart that compares adolescent immunisation coverage. For Diphtheria, Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis (DTP), Boroondara (89.8%) and Victoria (87.9%) are both below the target of 90%. For Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Boroondara (91.9%) meets the national target of 90%, while Victoria is slightly below at 88.8%. Vaccination rates for Meningococcal fall short in both regions: Boroondara at 89.1% and Victoria at 80.3%.