Drug use affects individuals, families and the community. Every 3 years, people in Australia are asked about their use and opinions of licit and illicit drugs, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes and vapes.
More than 21,000 people across the country took part in the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey, held in 2022 and 2023. This report presents findings from the survey and looks at what has changed over the past 20 years.
- Cat. no: PHE 340
Findings from this report:
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Daily tobacco smoking rate dropped from 11.0% to 8.3% between 2019 and 2022–2023
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Use of electronic cigarettes and vapes nearly tripled between 2019 (2.5%) and 2022–2023 (7.0%)
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Around 1 in 3 people (31%) in Australia drank alcohol in ways that put their health at risk in 2022–2023
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Almost 1 in 2 people (47%) have used an illicit drug in their lifetime, with cannabis being the most used (41%)