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. Australian students aged 12-15 years are more likely than those aged 16-17 years to have never consumed alcohol. Australian students aged 16-17 are significantly more likely to have consumed alcohol in the past year, month and week when compared to students aged 12-15.
In 2022-23, 41% of Australian students aged 12-15 years had never consumed alcohol; 35% had consumed alcohol in the past year, 16% in the past month and 7% in the past week.
In 2022-23, 22% of Australian students aged 16-17 years had never consumed alcohol; 64% had consumed alcohol in the past year, 37% in the past month and 19% in the past week.
Source: Scully, M, Koh, I, Bain, E, Wakefield, M, & Durkin, S (2023). ASSAD 2022-23: Australian secondary school students' use of alcohol and other substances. Cancer Council Victoria, Australia.
Please note: This FAQ uses data from the Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey, in which differences were considered significant at p<.01. Percentages do not tally to 100% as drinking categories (past week, past month, & past year) overlap.