Drug Education Teacher Booklet

4 ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUNG AUSTRALIANS The use of alcohol among young people aged 12-17 has been declining over recent years. In 2017 only 27% of young people used alcohol in the past month. Additionally, more young people in Australia are choosing not to drink. The number of young people who have never consumed alcohol has increased from one in four (26%) in 2011 to one in three (34%) in 2017. Rates of high-risk drinking among young people, however, remain high: ● Among young people who drink alcohol, one in four report drinking five or more alcoholic drinks in a single session in the past month (23%). While any alcohol consumption is risky for teenagers, high-risk drinking is defined as drinking an amount that increases the risk of accident or injury. ● Among young people who had drunk alcohol, one in three reported they did something they later regretted (28%) and most (59%) could think of at least one negative outcome related to their drinking, such as vomiting, using other drugs or getting into an argument. ● More than one in five (22%) or 4.4 million Australians aged 14 and over were victims of an alcohol-related incident in 2016. This includes feeling fearful of someone who is under the influence of alcohol as well as verbal, physical and sexual assault. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of being a victim of assault as it is harder to assess the risk involved in a situation after drinking. It is important that young people understand the effects of alcohol and the potential negative consequences so that they can make informed decisions.