Do Australians consider pharmaceuticals to be the drugs of most serious concern to the community?
When Australians were asked which form of drug use they thought was of most serious concern for the general community, 6% chose the non-medical use of pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids, 1% chose the non-medical use of tranquilisers/sleeping pills and 0.4% chose the non-medical use of methadone/buprenorphine. The largest proportion (35%) thought that meth/amphetamine or amphetamine† (for non-medical purposes) was the drug of most serious concern.
When Australians were asked which form of drug use they thought was of most serious concern for the general community, 35% chose methamphetamine or amphetamine, 31% excessive drinking of alcohol, 8% heroin, 8% tobacco smoking, 6% cocaine, 6% pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids, 3% cannabis, 2% ecstasy, 1% tranquilisers/sleeping pills, 0.4% methadone/buprenorphine (for non-medical purposes), 0.3% steroids (for non-medical purposes), and 1% none of these drugs.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
† Methamphetamine or amphetamine: The NDSHS asked about the use of methamphetamine and amphetamine (including the street names speed, crystal and ice) in 2022–2023. In 2019 and prior years, the NDSHS asked about the use of “Meth/amphetamines”, which also included the non‑medical use of pharmaceutical amphetamines, such as Ritalin (methylphenidate) and pseudoephedrine based cold and flu tablets. The change represents a break in the timeseries. Results for methamphetamine and amphetamine in 2022–2023 should not be compared to meth/amphetamines results from previous survey waves.
Please note: For the purpose of this FAQ, pharmaceutical drugs refer to the non-medical use of pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids (e.g. Oxycodone, Morphine, Codeine products such as Panadeine Forte), methadone/buprenorphine, and tranquillisers/sleeping pills.
Non-medical use:
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Using a drug for recreational purposes to induce or enhance a drug experience
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Using a pharmaceutical drug in a way that it was not prescribed / recommended (e.g. using it to enhance the effects of an illicit drug, taking it more frequently or at higher doses to induce a feeling, for performance enhancement including athletic and academic performance, or for weight loss).