The latest edition reveals Australians’ addictions, including drinking, smoking and illicit drugs HILD survey.
The Findings from the Australian Household, Income and Work Dynamics Survey the identical 17,000 Australians yearly, and participants followed them throughout their lives. The survey collects information on many features of life and is the one survey of its kind in Australia.
Smoking is down, but young persons are vaping more often
Since 2001, when 25% of men and 20% of ladies aged 15 and over reported smoking, significant progress has been made in reducing smoking rates. In 2021, these rates dropped to 16% for men and 12% for ladies. This likely reflects the consequences of tobacco control measures in addition to increased public awareness of the harmful health effects of smoking.
The biggest decline is amongst young people, reflecting the very fact that it is simpler to stop people from starting smoking than it’s to get smokers to quit. Indeed, the HILDA study shows that over 60% of people that quit smoking start smoking again inside three years.
Progress in reducing smoking appears to have been offset to some extent by the rise in popularity of vaping or e-cigarette use. In 2021, 14.1% of individuals aged 15 and over reported having tried vaping, and 16% of those people vaped day by day.
Vaping is basically a young people’s activity. It is commonest amongst people aged 15 to 24, and relatively common amongst people aged 25 to 29. Many individuals who report vaping also say they smoke cigarettes.
Binge drinking is still common, especially amongst young men
Hazardous drinking, here defined as typically drinking five or more standard drinks on any given occasion, is comparatively common, accounting for more than 20% of men and about 10% of ladies who’ve ever drank alcohol.
After a slight increase between 2003 and 2009, there has since been a slight decline on this measure of men’s dangerous drinking. In the case of ladies, changes on this area were minor.
Another measure of dangerous drinking shown within the figure is “binge drinking,” defined as drinking no less than five (for ladies) or seven (for men) drinks on one occasion, no less than twice a month. This indicator of at-risk drinking is more common, but since 2007 the speed has declined for each men and women.
Hazardous drinking is commonest amongst men aged 20 to 24, followed by men aged 25 to 29. However, for each men and women, (though not necessarily “risky”) alcohol use (drinking five or more days per week) is more common in older age groups, and is highest amongst people aged 60 and over.
People aged 30 to 34 saw the best increase in drug use
The HILDA study shows that the usage of illicit drugs equivalent to marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine increased between 2017 and 2021, with the annual rate of use increasing from 15.7% to 17.6% for men and from 8.6% to 11%. within the case of ladies.
People aged 20 to 24 are almost definitely to make use of illicit drugs, but the rise in use was biggest amongst people aged 30 to 34.
The use of multiple forms of illicit drugs, called polydrug use, is common amongst individuals who use methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy, but much less common amongst individuals who use marijuana.
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