Alcohol, tobacco, e‑cigarette and illicit drug use by population groups: Interactive data

National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023 data was collected over the 2022 and 2023 calendar years.

Characteristic footnotes

1. For data items sexual orientation, employment status, gender, Indigenous status, remoteness, socioeconomic area and age, base population is people aged 14 and over.
2. For data items mental illness and psychological distress, base is people aged 18 and over.
3. For data item education, base is people aged 25 to 64.
4. Other employment status includes people solely engaged in home duties, retired or on a pension, engaged in volunteer or charity work and other.
5. Due to the small sample sizes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, estimates should be interpreted with caution. Data from the 8 remote communities interviewed in the Northern Territory in 2019 are excluded to maintain comparability over time and with other results.
6. Mental illness includes people who, in the previous 12 months, were diagnosed with or treated for depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other form of psychosis or an eating disorder.
7. In 2022–2023, Remoteness Areas were defined using the 2021 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). In 2019, Remoteness Areas were defined using the 2016 ASGS. In 2013 and 2016, Remoteness Areas were defined using the 2011 ASGS. Prior to this, the 2006 Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) was used. These data are considered comparable but trends should be interpreted with caution.  Note that the impact of remoteness may be affected by higher proportions of First Nations people in the population (and included remote communities) in 2019.
8. From 2019, socioeconomic quintiles were calculated using the 2016 Census of Population and Housing. In 2013 and 2016, socioeconomic quintiles were calculated using the 2011 Census of Population and Housing. Prior to this, the 2006 Census of Population and Housing was used. These data are considered comparable but trends should be interpreted with caution.
9. Prior to 2013, the 'highest qualification obtained' question did not differentiate between Certificate levels. As a result, data for 2010 categories below 'Diploma' are not comparable, and have not been reported.
10. MESC=main English-speaking countries and non-MESC=non-main English-speaking country.

Drug/behaviour footnotes 

1. 'Recent use of any illicit drug' refers to use in the previous 12 months. Includes 17 classes of illicit drugs in 2022–2023. The number and type of illicit drug used varied over time."
2. 'Recent use of any illicit drug excluding pharmaceuticals' refers to use in the previous 12 months. Includes 12 classes of illicit drugs (excluding pharmaceuticals) in 2022–2023. The number and type of illicit drug used varied over time.
3. 'Recent use of cannabis' refers to use in the previous 12 months. In 2019 and 2022–2023, this excluded people that only used marijuana/cannabis that was prescribed by a doctor, and only used it for medical purposes.
4. 'Recent use' of cocaine and ecstasy refers to use in the previous 12 months. The definition of ecstasy included 'designer drugs' before 2004.
5. Prior to 2016, Pharmaceuticals included over-the-counter pain-killers and opioids. This was removed in 2016, which is considered a break in the time series. Older data have not been included as a result. Includes non-medical use of pain-killers/pain-relievers and opioids, Methadone/Buprenorphine, tranquillisers/sleeping pills, or steroids. Excludes over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol and aspirin.
6. 'Daily smoker' includes people who reported smoking tobacco at least once a day. This includes manufactured (packet) cigarettes, roll-your-own cigarettes, cigars or pipes, but excludes chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes (and similar) and non-tobacco products.
7. 'Ex smoker' includes people who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes (manufactured and/or roll-your-own) or the equivalent amount of tobacco in their life, and reported no longer smoking.
8. 'Never smoked' includes people who have not smoked 100 cigarettes (manufactured and/or roll-your-own) or the equivalent amount of tobacco in their life.
9. ‘Current e-cigarettes user’ includes people who reported using electronic cigarettes/vapes daily, at least weekly, at least monthly or less than monthly. Includes data on vaping from 2016.
10. ‘Ex e-cigarettes user’ includes people who reported that they used to use electronic cigarettes/vapes but no longer use, or, they only tried electronic cigarettes/vapes once or twice. Includes data on vaping from 2016.
11. 'Abstainer' refers to people who have not consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months.
12. ‘Risky alcohol consumption’ refers to people who have consumed more than 10 standard drinks per week, or 4 or more standard drinks in a single day at least once a month in the previous 12 months.