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NEWS: [SMH] 29/07/2005 - 'Illicit drug use hits a new high: 38%'

hoptis

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Illicit drug use hits a new high: 38%
By Jacqueline Maley Medical Reporter
July 29, 2005

Ecstasy is more popular than ever before, with new research showing one in five Australians in their early 20s has used the party drug, making it more prevalent in Australia than in any other English-speaking country.

A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare paints the most comprehensive picture of Australians' drug use in three years.

The good news is it reveals our smoking rates have gone down considerably, giving us the fewest number of daily smokers of all the countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

But the same research raises concerns about binge-drinking among young women, showing teenage girls are out-drinking boys of the same age, putting themselves at risk of harm in the long and short term.

More than a third of Australians - 38 per cent - have used an illicit drug, most commonly marijuana, which one in three people have used at some stage.

But regular marijuana use is at a 13-year-low, with only 11 per cent of the population having used it recently, and ecstasy has picked up the slack. Use of the "party drug" is at a 13-year high, with 3 per cent of Australians having used it recently.

The government report, released today, shows the drug is popular among young people in their teens and 20s - one in five 20- to 24-year-olds admitted to taking the drug, and the same number said they had taken methamphetamines (speed and its purer form, known as "crystal meth") as well.

Thirteen per cent of the age group had used ecstasy recently, and 11 per cent of them had used methamphetamines recently. Overall, Australians used more speed, ecstasy and marijuana than people in Britain, the US and New Zealand. The Irish were equal to Australians in their use of ecstasy, but not the other drugs.

David Caldicott, an emergency doctor and drugs specialist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, said the figures showed ecstasy-taking was "an act of civil disobedience", which made a mockery of government efforts to stamp it out.

"All the messages of harm associated with ecstasy aren't being listened to," he said. "[Young people] find they can use these drugs with impunity."

Dr Caldicott said "1950s-style anti-drug campaigns" would never work with the young ecstasy users.

"They are functional drug users," he said. "They are not the 'derros' and druggies of society. They are tertiary-educated and wealthy."

Another key feature of the drugs report was the growing trend of dangerous drinking levels among young women.

Girls aged 14 to 19 were more likely than their male counter-parts to drink to levels that risked long-term harm such as heart attack, liver and brain damage. They were also more likely to binge drink, or drink at levels that risked short-term harm such as assault or accidents.

Anne Mitchell, from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, said the trend in binge-drinking among young women coincided with the mass marketing of "girlie" alcoholic drinks, often called "alcopops", over the past five to 10 years.

"We are living in an increasingly permissive society where young people think they can do it all," she said.

"But this is a particularly speedy [trend] and it's gender-based."

From Sydney Morning Herald
 
I particularly liked this quote from David Caldicott

...said the figures showed ecstasy-taking was "an act of civil disobedience"

I guess that makes some of us here almost seasoned political activists =D

... and they say young people aren't political. Hehe
 
Always a pleasure to see the good Dr preaching a bit of common sense. I wonder how long it will take for the Federal government to wake up and start implementing some harm minimisation policies as opposed to the ineffectual zero tolerance stance it's currently taking.
 
In a perfect example of how reporting can report different things. The same results being reported in the Age has a focus on the smoking figures as opposed to illicit drug use.

Smokers getting message to quit
By Carol Nader
Health reporter
July 29, 2005

Graphic anti-smoking ads and tough bans have helped push down Australia's smoking rate, making it the lowest in the industrialised world.

The latest international data available shows that in 2003, 17.7 per cent of Australians aged 15 and over smoked daily, the lowest rate of all the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations. Sweden was second lowest, at 17.8 per cent, followed by Canada at 18 per cent.

The highest rate was in the Netherlands, where about one in three people smoked daily.

The figures will be released today in an Australian Institute of Health report on drug use. The prevalence of smoking in Australia has since dropped further - to 17.4 per cent in 2004.

In 2001, Australia was third best, with 19.8 per cent of people smoking daily, behind Sweden and the US.

Report author Priscilla Dowling said the low smoking rate was probably due to media campaigns over several years, public policy, assistance in quitting and tobacco price rises.

The report also shows that 20 per cent of women aged 14 to 49 smoked while pregnant and/or breastfeeding, compared with 25 per cent of women of that age who were not pregnant or breastfeeding. Almost two-thirds of pregnant women drank alcohol, and 70 per cent of breastfeeding women drank alcohol.

Cannabis use fell to its lowest level in 13 years in 2004, with 11 per cent of people using it within the 12 months they were surveyed and one in three people using it at least once in their lifetime.

Almost 40 per cent of people had used illicit drugs at least once, and 15 per cent in the previous 12 months.

People who had used any illicit drug other than cannabis were about twice as likely to have been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder - 17 per cent of drug users compared with 9 per cent of non-users.

The data is based on interviews with 29,000 Australians as part of the Federal Government's National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

Of Australia's low smoking rate, Quit Victoria executive director Todd Harper said that the "enviable worldwide position" was due to policy progress on the marketing of tobacco, progressive rises in the price of tobacco and a rise in smoke-free environments.

"It is fantastic that Australia has come so far," he said. "(But) this is not an excuse to sit on our laurels. Smoking rates could creep back up unless we continue to focus on successful tobacco-control measures."

Professor in Public Health at Sydney University, Simon Chapman, said: "The two big things on the horizon which are going to drive (smoking) down even faster are the picture warnings on the packs and the banning of smoking in pubs."

OECD SMOKING RATES LOWEST (PER CENT)

Australia 17.7
Sweden 17.8
Canada 18
United States 18.4
Finland 22.2
HIGHEST

Netherlands 34
Hungary 33
Korea 30.4
Japan 30.3
Belgium 29

From The Age

Also in the Australian, the tone of the report is overwhlemingly positive; drug use of almost all types is down.

Aussie smokers run out of puff
Selina Mitchell
July 29, 2005

THE image of the fag-smoking, beer-swilling Aussie is well and truly dead. Australia now has the lowest rate of smoking in the industrialised world and we come 23rd in the rankings for alcohol consumption.

The proportion of Australians over 14 who smoke has fallen to 17.4 per cent from 25per cent in 1993, due to national anti-tobacco campaigns, state restrictions on smoking in public and quarterly increases in the cost of cigarettes.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report on drug use last year, to be released today, also shows a drop in marijuana use to its lowest level in 13 years and a significant cut in the number of people dying from heroin overdoses.

The only illicit drug gaining popularity is ecstasy, now used by 3.4 per cent of people over 14 years.

Despite its reputation as a hard-drinking nation, Australia ranks 23rd in the world for alcohol consumption.

Smoking rates are highest in The Netherlands, where 34per cent of people aged 15 and over smoke daily, followed by Hungary (33per cent) and Korea (30 per cent).

The report's author, Pricilla Dowling, said Australia had the lowest rate of smoking among OECD nations and possibly the lowest in the world.

Sarah McCormack, 22, recently joined the 26 per cent of ex-smoking Australians.

Ms McCormack gave up cigarettes seven months ago after her grandfather died of a smoking-related illness. With the $50 a week she saves, the asthma-sufferer has joined a gym and now feels she breathes easier.

But friend Holly Geiger, who has been smoking since she was 13, has no intention of quitting.

The 21-year-old said she smoked half a packet of cigarettes a day, but tried not to smoke near other people, or during work hours.

The AIHW report says pregnant and breastfeeding women are less likely to consume alcohol and illicit drugs than if they are neither pregnant nor breastfeeding, but are much less likely to give up cigarettes.

Chair of the Cancer Council's anti-tobacco committee Andrew Ellerman said pregnant women underestimated the importance of quitting on their baby's health and much more education was required.

The AIHW report shows 11 per cent of people have recently used marijuana, the most common illicit drug.

Sixteen per cent of marijuana users have been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder in the past 12 months, compared with 9 per cent of non-users.

Ms Dowling said the 3 per cent overall figure for ecstasy use might not seem all that much, but ecstasy and related drugs were commonly used by 12- to 24-year-olds.

From The Australian

Also, from the ABC. I like the headline; ecstasy drug use hits a new peak. Hilarious!

Ecstasy drug use hits new peak

New drug statistics show the use of ecstasy is on the rise but marijuana and tobacco use is falling.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found marijuana use fell to 11 per cent in 2004, the lowest figure in 13 years.

But one in five teenagers still said they had used the drug in the reporting period, while people who had used marijuana were 60 per cent more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Report author Priscilla Dowling says while cannabis use fell, ecstasy hit a new peak.

"Ecstasy and related drugs were commonly used by people aged 12 to 24," Ms Dowling said.

"In particular, among 20 to 24-year-olds, around one in eight, or 13 per cent, had recently used ecstasy," she said.

Daily smoking rates have fallen to 17 per cent, the lowest of all the industrialised nations.

The institute says the proportion of the population aged over 14 that smokes daily has dropped from 19.5 per cent in 2001 to 17.4 per cent last year.

That compares to nations like the Netherlands, Hungary and Korea where smoking rates are above 30 per cent.

Western Australian Council on Smoking and Health director Stephen Hall says it is an extraordinary result.

"It doesn't mean we've got to give up efforts," he said. "I don't think it's until we get smoking levels to down below 10 per cent that we can really take the foot off the pedal.

"And once it gets down below 10 per cent, then we can get into some really serious business of regulating the product and by that I mean that it's probably only sold by chemists and only sold to registered users."

From ABC News

Also... A Western Australian university study is predicting there will be virtually no smokers in Australia in 25 years' time.
 
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Good to see a fairly balanced article for a change, particularly liked this quote

The good news is it reveals our smoking rates have gone down considerably, giving us the fewest number of daily smokers of all the countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

and also...


Dr Caldicott said "1950s-style anti-drug campaigns" would never work with the young ecstasy users.

Well it didn't work back then, why on earth would it work now. I wonder if the federal government is goin to take notice of the problem of binge drinking amongst young women and start to demonise alcohol in the media 8) 8) 8)
 
"Ecstasy is more popular than ever before, with new research showing one in five Australians in their early 20s has used the party drug, making it more prevalent in Australia than in any other English-speaking country."

Were #1! Were #1! Were #1! =D
 
Jimity said:
"Ecstasy is more popular than ever before, with new research showing one in five Australians in their early 20s has used the party drug, making it more prevalent in Australia than in any other English-speaking country."

Were #1! Were #1! Were #1! =D

Why is that do you think? Why do Australians need more drugs than any other English-speaking country?
 
^yea, i wouldn't exactly say that's a good thing. the fact that drug use is very prevelant in australia is nothing to be proud of imo.
 
Tantra said:
Why is that do you think? Why do Australians need more drugs than any other English-speaking country?

Its not all drug use that Australia leads; its just MDMA. And I wouldnt say because australians use MDMA, that they need it.
 
It think its that drug use amogst our peers isnt considered a big deal. But id really like the government to take notice how allllll there efforts to be anti drug, yet still an island nation manages to have the highest mdma useage rates. Shows what they know.

If i were labour id play on this "Under the howard governemnt, xtc use hit a new high"

Oh well
 
Jimity said:
Its not all drug use that Australia leads; its just MDMA. And I wouldnt say because australians use MDMA, that they need it.
True.

As to why Australians use more MDMA than other english speaking countries? There might be many reasons. The other countries might be "over" it already and moved on to new chemicals like 2ci and such. Or maybe Australia has a stronger E party culture right now. Maybe Australians have nothing much more interesting to do than roll...

In any case, it's definately not the price range :)
 
well has the Ecstasy death rate rose to epic proportions.. um no.
why we make the choice to roll.. we get sick of drinking, it feels good.. it feels better when you drink. you can go to work the next day without feeling like total shit (more productivity gained! ;))

and what else do we have to do, Australia is so boring... and Perth is very very boring.. we can never go out to concerts have a good time.. just my opinion...

so when will they start with the harm minimisation?
 
"Ecstasy is more popular than ever before, with new research showing one in five Australians in their early 20s has used the party drug, making it more prevalent in Australia than in any other English-speaking country."

There could be some differences in the methods used to obtain this information from country to country.
 
WHY??? Why is MDMA so popular in Oz??? We are world renowned hedonists!!!
Searching for a good time, not terribly interested in going out of our way on messy drugs.
This suits me just perfectly because I was getting sick of being referred to as a ‘druggo’ for having a couple of pills here and there!

Say higher rates of drug use are good or bad, I don’t know and won’t pretend to know…
But I do know it’s great to see people smoking less, because I’m sick to fuck of hearing “I have to die some day!” from morons who should be educated enough to know better.

As for being number one!... Tell me it doesn't inspire a sense of patriotism!

: ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): ): )
 
[q]But I do know it’s great to see people smoking less, because I’m sick to fuck of hearing “I have to die some day!” from morons who should be educated enough to know better.[/q]

It's not that these morons weren't educated about the risks of smoking in the first place. People have known about the dangers of smoking for the past 20 odd years, it's just now in our culture, it is not perceived as being "cool" to be tough or be a smoker.
Most smokers I know are aware of the dangers of smoking, however alot of people that are dumping pills every weekend aren't aware that if they keep it up on a week to week basis, then their whole reward system as well as their memory is going to be shot.
 
imagine when they conduct a study on people over 25 who take Ecstasy . . .

i know of just as many middleaged people who take Ecstasy in a much bigger way than young adults do . . . and it makes sense when you think about it . . .

my girlfriends mother says she regularly goes to parties where a large bowl filled with ecstasy tablets will be in the centre of the dining room table where everyone is expected to help themselves . . . the people who throw these parties are rich, middle aged people who dont necessarily go out raving . . . and they can afford drugs in much bigger ways than us kids can . . .

so when research comes out covering ALL of the australian population regarding Ecstasy use, then we'll know what kind of figures we have . . .
 
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