In recent months, two of the largest Australian drug and alcohol reports have been released. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023 and the Australian secondary school students alcohol and drug survey 2022–2023. These reports are released every 3 years and are critical to helping us understand the current landscape and trends of drug and alcohol use in Australia. You can learn more about the reports below.
National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023
This report provides insights into the use of alcohol, tobacco, e‑cigarettes, and illicit drugs in Australia in 2022 and 2023, using results from the 2022–2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
The report looks at people's drug use throughout their lives and during the previous 12 months and examines how these patterns have changed over time. The Survey also asks people for their opinions on a range of initiatives designed to reduce the harm caused by tobacco, alcohol and drug use.
Use of alcohol and other drugs has historically been higher among males than females, but this gap is closing, particularly for young Australians aged 18–24. Use of alcohol, e cigarettes, and other drugs, including cocaine, has all risen among young women.
This represents a major shift in the demographics of young people who consume alcohol and use illicit drugs, and as young people are the most likely to use illicit drugs and drink alcohol at risky levels, an overall shift in the demographics of risky drug and alcohol consumption in Australia.
Overall however, the proportion of all people drinking alcohol at risky levels continued a gradual, long-term decline that began in 2013.
Read the report here: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey/contents/summary
Australian secondary school students alcohol and drug survey 2022–2023
This report presents the alcohol and other substance use data, including trends over time, of the 2022–23 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey. Over 10,000 students aged 12 to 17 years participated in the survey between March 2022 and July 2023.
The report includes statistics on secondary students' use of alcohol, over-the-counter drugs (for non‑medical reasons) and cannabis.
This study found that nearly two-thirds (65%) of Australian secondary school students had ever tried alcohol and more than one in five (22%) had consumed alcohol in the past month. Overall, cannabis was the most commonly used illicit drug. In general, students infrequently reported having ever used other drugs.
The proportion of students who reported consuming alcohol in the past month was significantly lower compared to 2017 (22% vs. 27%), as was the proportion of students who had consumed alcohol in the past week (11% vs. 15%).
Read the full report here: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/secondary-school-students-use-of-alcohol-and-other-substances-2022-2023_0.pdf
