Do men and women in Australia use different types of pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical purposes?
Similar proportions of Australian men and women have used pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids, tranquilisers/sleeping pills, and methadone/buprenorphine for non-medical purposes in their lifetime and in the past year.
9% of Australian men have used pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids in their lifetime, compared to 8% of women.
5% of Australian men have used tranquillisers/sleeping pills in their lifetime, compared to 5% of women.
0.5% of Australian men have used methadone/buprenorphine in their lifetime, compared to 0.4% of women.
3% of Australian men have used pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids in the past year, compared to 2% of women.
2% of Australian men have used tranquillisers/sleeping pills in the past year, compared to 2% of women.
0.1%* of Australian men have used methadone/buprenorphine in the past year, compared to 0.1%* of women.
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2021).
†This FAQ uses data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, which defines the pharmaceutical drugs referred to in this question as: the non-medical use of pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids (oxycodone, morphine, codeine products such as panadeine forte (excluding paracetamol, asprin and ibuprofen where these drugs are the only active ingredients)), tranquillisers/sleeping pills (e.g., sleepers, benzos, tranks, temazzies, temaze, rivotril, serepax, serries, xanax, xannies, stilnox, rohypnol, rowies, valium) and methadone/buprenorphine (e.g., done, junk, jungle juice, bupe, sub).
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Non-medical use: A drug used:
- By itself to induce a drug experience or feeling; or
- With other drugs in order to enhance a drug experience.