Drug & Alcohol Statistics 

Summary

Young people are usually defined as 15-24 years old, but some categorizations can vary to include people from 10 up until 30 years of age. In 2004 there were 2.8 million young people aged 15-24 in Australia. (AIHW 2005).

Like any other population group, young people use drugs for a variety of reasons. They may enjoy the feelings they get from using drugs or the excitement associated with trying something new or taking risks. They may use drugs to escape from difficulties that they are experiencing, be influenced by others or they may find that some substances increase their endurance or performance in specific settings.

Alcohol use among young people is common and current consumption patterns are concerning. With that also, the link between drug use and mental health issues is of a particular concern for young people, as this is the age group most likely to take drugs and most likely to have a mental illness of some kind (AIHW 2006). Young people need to be made aware of issues around mental and physical health from substance use.

For most of the young, the only source of knowledge comes from experiment or school-yard talk. Experiment reveals the drug’s immediate, sometimes pleasant, effect on the mind and body, but reveals little or nothing about the side effects and real dangers, particularly the accumulative effects.

Young people can not be expected to know the long range consequences, psychological or physical, incurred by drug and alcohol use. The influence of a trusted teacher or some other person is profound. Most young people can turn to such a person, but the truth can only be told by someone who knows the truth. Many do not. And that must be changed.

Taking drugs or not is about making choices – informed choices. Yet too many people in the world are badly informed about the potentially devastating effects of drugs. That is why we need to work for better education and greater awareness to prevent drug abuse. We need more consistent leadership from governments. We need better examples from role models whose drug use damages more people than just themselves.
 
We need to spread the understanding that drugs are illegal because they are a problem; not a problem because they are illegal. Drugs cause serious health and mental health problems, and they spell misery for users and those close to them. When they wreak their devastation, they respect no boundaries of income, race, occupation or geography.

Our efforts must focus especially on young people – through outreach, peer-to-peer networks, and using opportunities such as sport to keep young people active, healthy, and confident. That also means engaging and encouraging parents and teachers to play their part in full. The No-Way Campaign is here to assist in this fight. So let us arm young people with the information they need to say, No-Way, to drugs.

Drug & Alcohol Statistics

• 50% of 14-19 year olds had consumed alcohol within this year with 25% of these drinking alcohol on a weekly or daily basis.* (NDARC 2004/2005)
• The lifetime prevalence of ecstasy use increased from 1% in 1988 to 7.5% in 2004.*(NDARC 2004/2005)
• 23 % of young people aged 12-19 years reported ever using an illicit drug, with 16 % having used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months.* (AIHW 2005c)
• Use of cannabis in the previous 12 months was most common among people aged 20-29 (26%) and people aged 14-19 (17.9%).* (AIHW 2005b)

References 

• National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC 2004/2005)
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2005, Australia’s Welfare 2005, AIHW, Canberra.
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2005c, Statistics on drug use in Australia 2004, AIHW, Canberra (PTO)
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2006, Australia’s Health 2006, AIHW, Canberra