It soothes nerves, loosens tongues and triggers sexual adventures. For some people, however fleetingly, it solves all the problems of the world. But alcohol's addictive and disinhibiting effects can give rein to abuse and violence of the worst kind, of which Australians are increasingly aware. Now, with the Rudd Government targeting teen bingeing, is the nation taking a first, tentative step towards admitting to a drinking problem? Concentrating on laid-back pubs, crowded clubs and rowdy home parties to gauge the strength of alcohol's embrace, many people are asked why they drink to excess. On a nightclub strip we witness horrific unprovoked violence and then meet the cops, doctors and nurses who must deal with the bloody consequences. This report is a candid and unsettling profile of drinking culture, revealing a chasm between what Australians know about alcohol's harms and what they actually do when they go 'On the Piss'.

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