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Press release May 10, 2000 Statistics on Drug Use in Australia 1998 The image
that Australians are high consumers of tobacco and alcohol is fading, according
to a report released at the end of April by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare. On the
international league table, Australia dropped from 10th place in 1986 to 17th
in 1996 for per capita consumption of cigarettes. This equates to every
Australian smoking on average 700 fewer cigarettes each a year. Australia
ranked 20th for per capita consumption of alcohol in 1995-96. Statistics
on Drug Use in Australia shows that on average each adult Australian spent $337
on tobacco in 1996-97, and smoked 2,017 cigarettes a year. This compares with
top-ranked Greece on 3,474 cigarettes, followed by Japan on 3,193. Per
capita expenditure for 1995-96 on alcohol was $717. Australia ranked 9th on per
capita consumption of beer (95 litres per person), compared with the Czech Republic
on top at 160 litres per person. On wine and spirits consumption, Australia
ranked 17th (18 litres per person) and 30th (1 litre per person) respectively.
This equates to an estimated per capita alcohol consumption of 7.5 litres of
pure alcohol per person. Luxembourg ranked first with 11.8 litres of pure
alcohol per person, followed by Portugal with 11.2 litres per person. Around
22% of Australians aged 14 years or more smoked on a daily basis in 1998,
slightly lower than the rates over the rest of the decade. Daily smoking was
most prevalent in the 20-29 year age group for both men and women in 1998. Daily
consumption of alcohol was usual for about 10% of Australians aged 14 years and
over in 1998, a result unchanged from the previous 7 years. Daily drinking was most
common among men and women aged 60 years or more. According
to co-author of the report, Mark Cooper-Stanbury, Australians continue to
disapprove of both the regular use and legalisation of illicit drugs, although approximately
one quarter think regular use of marijuana is acceptable. "And
80% of Australians support increased penalties for the supply of hard illicit
drugs, with 60% also supporting increased penalties for the supply of
marijuana,"
Mr Cooper-Stanbury said. "Marijuana remained the most widely used
illicit drug in Australia in 1998, with 44% of males and 35% of females reporting
use at some time in their lives." Other
findings in Statistics on Drug Use in Australia include: Almost
23,000 Australian deaths in 1997 were attributable to drug use. Of these,
18,224 deaths were tobacco-related, 3,668 were alcohol-related and 832 deaths were
related to illicit drug use. Most
deaths in all age groups (except those aged 15-34 years) were attributable to
tobacco. For those aged 15-34 years, 9% of deaths were tobacco-related, with 50%
due to alcohol misuse and 42% to illicit drug use. Statistics
on Drug Use in Australia 1998 is the eighth in a series originally titled
Statistics on Drug Abuse in Australia, and provides an accessible summary of
major drug-use statistical collections, which will lead interested readers to
sources of more detailed information. Data are presented on drug use patterns
(including trends and international comparisons), the economics of drug use,
drug use among special population groups, the health impacts of drug use, treatment
services, and drug-related crime and law enforcement. To read
the full report, click here. ©
Hassela Nordic Network
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