Australia’s latest household survey reveals that we are smoking less, taking more drugs, and still binge drinking.
According to the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, smoking is declining in Australia, but young people are more likely to vape.
There has been substantial progress in reducing smoking rates since 2001, when 25 per cent of males and 20 per cent of females aged 15 and over reported being smokers.
In 2021, these rates had dropped to 16 per cent for males and 12 per cent for females. This likely reflects the effects of tobacco control measures, as well as increased public awareness of the harmful health effects of smoking.
Declines have been biggest for young people, which reflects the fact it is easier to prevent the take-up of smoking than it is to get smokers to quit. Risky drinking, defined as usually consuming five or more standard drinks on each occasion, is relatively common, applying to over 20 per cent of males and about 10 per cent of females who ever drink alcohol.
After rising slightly between 2003 and 2009, there has since been a small decline in this measure of risky drinking for males. There has been little change in this measure for females. The HILDA survey shows use of illicit drugs, such as marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine, increased between 2017 and 2021, with annual use increasing from 15.7 per cent to 17.6 per cent for males, and from 8.6 per cent to 11 per cent for females. For more information read the HILDA survey.