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- Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive substance in Australia .
- More than 90% of the population (over the age of 14) have consumed alcohol at some time in their lives (National Drug Household Survey, Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2004)
- 1.3 million Australians consume alcohol daily (AIHW, 2002).
- The average Australian consumes 7.8 litres of alcohol every year (World Advertising Research Centre, 2002)
- In 2000, Australia was ranked 19th in the world for total alcohol consumption and 9th in the world for beer consumption (WARC, 2002).
- Alcohol misuse is second only to tobacco as a preventable cause of death and hospitalisation
- Between 2001 and 2002, 41,886 Australians received treatment for alcohol-related problems – more than any other substance (AIHW).
- In 2003 alone, 3,400 Australians died from alcohol-caused disease and injury (AIHW, 2005)
- 21% of teenagers (aged 16-17) drink alcohol on a weekly basis, while more than 45% of 18-19 year olds consume alcohol weekly (National Drug Household Survey, AIHW, 2004)
- Almost 40% of 14-19 year olds drink at levels that risk short-term harm, and 10% of that age group drink at levels that put them at risk of long-term, or chronic, alcohol-related harm (National Drug Household Survey, AIHW, 2004)
For more information and statistics about alcohol use in Australia go to:
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