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Older Australians are using more drugs while more teens just say ‘no’

Older Australians are using illicit drugs at higher levels while teenagers are smoking, drinking and using illicit drugs less.

New data, which challenge popular perceptions of drug use, show the proportion of people in their 40s who’ve used illicit drugs over the previous 12 months has risen 2 per cent.

The figure rose from 14 to 16 per cent between 2013 and 2016, data released from the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows.

Overall, the most common recently used drugs were cannabis (10 per cent of the population), misuse of pharmaceuticals (5 per cent), cocaine (3 per cent), and ecstasy (2 per cent).

Julie Rae, of the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, said middle-aged Australians may be increasing their drug use because their children are growing up, leaving them with more freedom and time to spare.

Another possible explanation is that people in their 40s are using drugs to cope with stress.

“We might be looking for things to escape something in our lives, to make ourselves feel better,” Ms Rae told The New Daily.

“People might be thinking, ‘I had a rotten day today so I’m going to drink more, or smoke a joint because it’ll make me feel better’.”

Ms Rae said most of the misuse of pharmaceuticals is codeine, an opiate mostly used and misused to manage pain, stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Stock image of cigarettes and alcohol

Young people are drinking and smoking less, according to the report. Photo: AAP

She said alcohol and cannabis use has generally been at the same rate as in the past, while pharmaceutical use continues to rise.

Conversely, people under 40 are less likely to have recently used illicit drugs than in the past.

The survey, by the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing, found almost no teenagers are smoking. The proportion of teenagers who have never smoked rose to 98 per cent in 2016, from 95 per cent in 2013.

Overall, 62 per cent of the population have never smoked, up from 60 per cent in 2013.

The proportion of Australians who smoke daily has almost halved from 24 per cent in 1991 to 13 per cent in 2013. But there was little change from 2013 to 2016, with the figure now at 12 per cent of the population.

Daily smoking rates for those aged 30 or older showed little improvement.

Alcohol consumption has also dropped, particularly among young people.

“As with smoking, a smaller proportion of teenagers are drinking alcohol, down from 28 per cent in 2013 to 18 per cent to 2016,” said Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing spokesman Matthew James.

And teenagers are trying alcohol and cigarettes at older ages than in the past. In 1998, the average age at which young people were first drinking and smoking was about 14. At 2016, this was around 16.

Ms Rae told The New Daily there are a few possibilities behind the growing generational gap in drug and alcohol consumption.

She said young people appear to be trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

They are spending more time on computers and may be socialising less, giving them fewer chances to experiment.

Teenagers may also be concerned about embarrassing photos making their way online.

“Young people are also saying they don’t like being intoxicated, whether it’s with illegal drugs or alcohol,” Ms Rae said.

But while young people are drinking less – and less frequently – they binge drink when they do, Ms Rae said.

The survey found overall recent use of methamphetamine also fell, but those who use the drug do so more frequently.

Only 2 per cent and 3 per cent of ecstasy and cocaine users used weekly or more often. This was 32 per cent of ice users.

Methamphetamine has also overtaken excessive drinking of alcohol as the drug of that most worries Australians, with 40 per cent of people being most concerned with ice.

“Correspondingly, Australians are, overall, less concerned about the impact of cannabis, heroin and cocaine than in the past,” Mr James said.

The AIHW surveyed almost 24,000 people across the country on their use of and attitudes towards drugs.

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