NATIONAL HABITS.

Northern Advocate, 23 July 1923, Page 2

NATIONAL HABITS.

TEA, LTQTJOB" AND TOBACCO,

SOMfe COMPARISONS

Australians are known throughout thfe world as a race of tea drinkers (says the "Age"). Tea, in fact, is recognised as the national beverage. Yet a study of statistics proves twa things very clearly—firstly, the Australians consume large .quantities of other beverages; and, secondly that their consumption of tea is, if anything, smaller than that of the people of the British Isles. Americans, on the other hand, have no fancy for tea, but they drink large quantities of coffee; and now that Prohibition is the law for the great majority, they consume a considerable amount of sickly soda-fobntain concoctions, containing a large percentage of sugar. ' According to calculations made by Commonwealth Statistician, Mr C. H. Wickens, the people of Australia consume more tea per head now than they did in - the earlier days of Federation. From 1904 to 1913 the average annual consumption of tea per head of the population was' 7£lb, reckoning every man, woman, and child in the community. But during the period 1913 to 1922 the tea craze had increased considerably, with the result, that the figures had risen to 81b per head. In the British Isles, however, ~ the increase has been vastly greater. In 1913 6.681b of tea per head was sufficient to meet the requirements of the people. Throughout the war years. —probably in consequence of the restrictions placed on the sale of alcoholic liquors—the tea consumption in the British Isles gradually increased until the Australian record yras surpassed. As a result, whilst- the average Australian is content with 81b oftea per annum, the residents of England, Scotland, Wales, and .Ireland now require 8.371b of tea eiach every year. The situation is quite different in the United. States of America, where there has been a gradual decrease in. tea consumption from i.071b per head in the early days 'of the war to 0.841b per head at the present time. But whilst .Australian folk are content with approximately $lb of coffee each a year, Americans need 121b per head to wash down their meals. In other words, whilst tea is Australia 'a national drink, coffee is'* the national (ftink of America. And even if the Australian has to take second place to the Englishman as a tea drinker, the latter comes easily first as a consumer of alcohol. According to the latest available figures, the residents of the British Isles drink an average of 0.32 gal. of wine, 0.47 gal. of spirits, and 20.6 gal. of beer per head every year (against the Australian's 0.35, 0.25, and 11.48) —a performance which should excite the, envious admiration of a country like Australia, the cities of which, on the word of many English visitors, have an, hotel on every street corner..

The Australian also indulge other so-called "vices." For instance, they smoke tobacco in large quantities and in a variety of forms. But 'a close study of the record shows that they ate no more addicted to the weed than Englishmen, and they «onsume less than Americans, who, in addition to smoking tobacco, also' chew - it. Before the war the average p6r capita consumption of tobacco in Australia ,was 2.661b per head; ( but now it is 31b per head, so that either the people who smoked before are demanding more tobacco, or the army of smokers has increased in numbers. Probably the latter is the more feasible explanation, since it is undoubted that many women have recently acquired the habit. But even then it is apparent that smoking ijs not nearly as prevalent amongst the fair sex as some reformers would have us believe, j As against Australia's 31b of tobacco per head per annum the English people smoke 2.971b, whilst Americans need 4.31b to soothe their nerves and drive dull care away.

The consumption of large quantities of sugar is reckoned by some folks, who are often termed cranks, as being a vice. Sugar, Ave are told, is injurious to health when eaten to excess and there is a very general impression that many livrs are ruined thrtnigh over-indulgence in sweet foods and drinks. If that be so, then Australians are taking risks; but at any rate they are not showing signs of abandoning themselves absolutely to the sugar craving. In pre-war times the average ration per head in the Commonwealth was 1211bs of sugar a year; but since then it has fallen to 1171b, the reason most likely being that high prices have restricted the demand. In this direction the people of the British Isles have shown commendable restraint, for all | along they have made 511b or 521b | per head meet their needs' for a year. However,' when folk drink over 20 ga£ lons of beer a year, economy in other directions is demanded. The situation in America is by far the most interesting, as recent figures suggest that the inauguration of Prohibition has been responsible for a vast increase in sugar consumption. In 1916, when liquor was plentiful, the Americans were content with 791bs of sugar each every year; in 1917 the figure was 82.871b5; in 1918, 781bs; in 1919, 8o.;"olbs; in 1920, 91.461b5; and in 1922, 1031bs. • The United States con-

sumcd 4,100,000 tons of sugar in

1921, but in 1922 they disposed of

5,100,000 tons, or; 20 per cent. more. I What is explanation f Some authorities suggest that with the - ter- I mination of the drink traffic people j found themselves better off, and were able to buy larger quantities of household necessities; but the real explanation seems to be that, the citizens of America, in order to quench their 'thirst, now drink a . considerable; amount of sweetened soda-fountain drinks. Even then, Australians, who still have beer, wine, and spirits at itheir disposal, consume 141bs of Bugar per head more than their American brothers and sisters.