Alcohol abuse is a major public health problem in New Zealand. It contributes to illness and deaths, motor accidents, lost production and violent offenses. Alcohol abuse as a public health problem derives in a large part from the social construction of masculinity in general, male drinking patterns, in particular. The practice of drinking to excess as part of men's expression of mateship and the testing of masculinity, the rituals which combine alcohol with driving and alcohol's role in violent behavior, not only threaten individual life but confront the public with a huge health bill.
