Are younger or older Australian school students aged 12-17 years more likely to consume 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion?
In 2022/23 among Australian school students aged 12-17 years who consume alcohol, older students were more likely than younger students to consume 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion.
In 2022-23, 25% of school students aged 12-15 years consumed 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion in the past two weeks, compared to 34% of school students aged 16-17 years.
In 2022-23, 39% of school students aged 12-15 years consumed 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion in the past month, compared to 53% of school students aged 16-17 years.
In 2022-23, 70% of school students aged 12-15 years consumed 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion in the past year, compared to 83% of school students aged 16-17 years.
In 2022-23, 75% of school students aged 12-15 years had ever consumed 5+ standard drinks on a single occasion, compared to 86% of school students aged 16-17 years.
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.
Please note: Consuming 5+ standard drinks per day (or 11+ standard drinks per week) is considered to be “risky consumption” for adults in the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. According to these guidelines the consumption of any alcohol by people under the age of 18 places them at risk of harm.