What proportion of Australians who used pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical purposes concurrently used other drugs?
Among Australians who used pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids for non-medical purposes in the past 12 months, approximately half used another drug at the same time. The drugs most commonly used concurrently with pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids were alcohol and tobacco.
36% of Australians who used pain-killers/pain-relievers/opioids for non-medical purposes in the past 12 months used alcohol concurrently, 24% used tobacco, 21% used cannabis, 9% used cocaine, 8% used tranquillisers/sleeping pills, 6% used meth/amphetamine, 16% used other drugs, and 49% didn’t use any drug.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2021).
Please note: 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)).
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.