Young People
This section contains information about the alcohol consumption patterns of Australian school students who are under 18 years of age.
Data is derived from the 2017 Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) Survey (Cancer Council of Victoria, 2018).
Please note that the ASSAD survey was undertaken when the previous iteration of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines (2009) was still in place. Consequently, all FAQs addressing risky consumption in this section of the NADK use the 2009 Alcohol Guidelines. According to these Guidelines, drinking five or more standard drinks on any single occasion significantly increases short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
What proportion of Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol?
Almost half (46%) of 12-17 year old school students have consumed alcohol in the past year, a quarter (27%) have done so in the past month, and 15% have done so in the past week. Approximately one third (34%) of Australian school students aged 12-17 years have never consumed alcohol.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as drinking categories (past week, past month, & past year) overlap.
Are male or female Australian school students aged 12-17 years more likely to drink alcohol?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years, boys and girls are equally likely to have drunk alcohol in the past year, past month and past week.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as drinking categories (past week, past month, & past year) overlap.
Are younger or older Australian school students aged 12-17 years more likely to drink alcohol?
The likelihood of Australian school students aged 12-17 years consuming alcohol increases with age. Those who are younger are more likely to have never consumed alcohol. Older students are more likely to have consumed alcohol in the past year, past month and past week compared to younger students.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as drinking categories (past week, past month, & past year) overlap.
When Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol, what is the average amount consumed each week?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who consumed alcohol in the past week, the average number of alcohol drinks consumed was 6.2.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
When Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol, do males or females consume more each week?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who consumed alcohol in the past week, boys consumed more alcohol drinks on average than girls (7.6 vs. 5.0 drinks, respectively).
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
When Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol, does the amount consumed per week differ by age?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who consumed alcohol in the past week, the average number of drinks consumed over the week increased with age: 12-15 year olds consumed an average of 5.0 drinks, while 16-17 year olds consumed an average of 7.0 drinks.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
What proportion of Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink at levels that increase their short-term risk of injury?
In 2017, 44% of Australian school students aged 12-17 years had ever drunk alcohol at levels that increased their short-term risk of alcohol-related injury. Sixteen percent of students drank at short-term risky levels in the past fortnight; 23% did so in the past month; and 41% did so in the past year.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Short-Term Risk of Alcohol-Related Injury: The Australian alcohol guidelines that were in place at the time this survey was undertaken (2017) stated that drinking five or more standard drinks on any single occasion significantly increases short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
Are male or female school students aged 12-17 years more likely to drink at levels that increase their short-term risk of injury?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years, boys are slightly more likely than girls to drink at levels that increase short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Short-Term Risk of Alcohol-Related Injury: The Australian alcohol guidelines that were in place at the time this survey was undertaken (2017) stated that drinking five or more standard drinks on any single occasion significantly increases short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
Are younger or older Australian school students aged 12-17 years more likely to drink at levels that increase their short-term risk of injury?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years, older students were more likely than younger students to drink at levels that increased their short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Short-Term Risk of Alcohol-Related Injury: The Australian alcohol guidelines that were in place at the time this survey was undertaken (2017) stated that drinking five or more standard drinks on any single occasion significantly increases short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.
Which alcohol beverages do Australian school students aged 12-17 years usually drink?
Australian school students aged 12-17 years who drank alcohol in the past week usually drank premixed spirits (37%), followed by beer (22%), and spirits (19%).
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the five most common beverage types selected are reported.
Do male and female Australian school students aged 12-17 years usually drink different alcohol beverages?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who consumed alcohol in the past week, girls usually drank premixed spirits (47%) followed by spirits (24%), while boys usually drank beer (34%) followed by premixed spirits (29%).
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the five most common beverage types selected are reported.
Do younger and older Australian school students aged 12-17 years usually drink different alcohol beverages?
Both younger and older Australian school students aged 12-17 years who drank alcohol in the past week usually drank premixed spirits. Wine was more common among younger students.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the five most common beverage types selected are reported.
Where do Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who drank alcohol in the past week, 35% had their last drink at home, 31% had their last drink at a party, and 15% had their last drink at a friend’s house.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the three most common locations are reported.
Do male and female Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol in different locations?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who drank alcohol in the past week, both boys and girls were most likely to have consumed their last drink at home.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the three most common locations are reported.
Do younger and older Australian school students aged 12-17 years drink alcohol in different locations?
Among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who drank alcohol in the past week, younger students tended to drink at home, while older students tended to drink at parties.
Source: Cancer Council Victoria (2018). ASSAD 2017 Statistics & Trends: Australian secondary school students' use of tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, and illicit substances.
Please note: Percentages do not tally to 100% as only the three most common potential locations are reported.