According to preliminary results from the 1998 National Drug
Strategy Household Survey, our perceptions about drugs are
changing. In 1998, more people primarily associated heroin with a
drug 'problem' than in 1995. Conversely, the percentage of people
who primarily associated marijuana/cannabis with a drug 'problem'
fell from 32% to 21%.
But the most commonly used drug in Australia is still alcohol -
in 1998 over 80% of people aged 14 and over had used it in the past
12 months, and 49% consume it regularly, up from 44% in 1995. More
than two-thirds of 14-19 year olds consume dangerous levels of
alcohol when they drink.
In 1998, 22% of the adult population were regular tobacco
smokers, down from 24% in 1995. The highest prevalence of regular
smoking in 1998 was among 20-29 year olds (males 31% and females
30%).
The main findings from the first in a series of publications
about tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use and its health impact
in Australia are given in the attachments.
The first of the publications being prepared will present the
results of the 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, and
the second will present an analysis of data on deaths and hospital
episodes, updating available estimates of mortality and morbidity
attributable to drug use.
- Drug use in Australia and its
health impact
- Introduction
- Main findings
- Explanatory
Notes
- The 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey
- Drug-related mortality and morbidity
- Data tables (90K
PDF)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or better is needed to view these
files. More about Acrobat
Reader.
31 March 1999
Further information: Geoff Sims, ph. 02 6244
1168, or Paul Williams, ph. 02 6289 6851.
For general media enquiries: Lyn Elliott, ph. 02
6244 1034.