CHANGE IN DRUG HABITS

AUSTRALIANS are smoking fewer cigarettes and drinking less than they were
in the early 1990s but are using more marijuana, a new study has found.The
latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures on drug use found
39 per cent of Australians in 1998 had used marijuana at least once, up
from 33 per cent in 1991.

Almost 20 per cent had used the drug in the past year, compared with just
nine per cent in England and the US, eight per cent in Spain and seven per
cent in Canada.

Nearly half of all Australians aged 14 and over had used illicit substances
at least once in their lives, the study found, while 23 per cent reported
using an illicit drug in the last year.

Report co-author Megge Miller said most Australians did not approve of the
regular use or legalisation of illicit drugs.

"(However) approximately one quarter thought regular use of marijuana was
acceptable," Ms Miller said.

Australia's cigarette consumption dropped from 10th in the world in 1986 to
17th in 1996. That equated to a drop from 2710 to 2017 cigarettes annually
for each Australian aged 15 and over.

In 1998/99 Australian adults spent an average of $559 each on tobacco, and
total government tobacco revenue was in excess of $8.2 billion.

The highest smoking rates were among those aged 20-29. Overall, men were
more likely to smoke than women.

Australia ranked 19th in alcohol consumption in 1998, guzzling 7.6 litres
of pure alcohol per person per year.

First-ranked Luxembourg consumed 13.3 litres of alcohol per person followed
by Portugal with 11.2 litres per person.

In beer consumption, Australia ranked 9th at 95 litres per person compared
with the Czech Republic on top at 162 litres per person.

Per capita expenditure on alcohol in 1998-99 was $1062, while average
weekly household expenditure on alcohol was $20.43.

Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug.

Amphetamines had been recently used by about four per cent of those aged 14
and over, while two per cent had used ecstasy or other designer drugs and
around one per cent had used heroin, cocaine or injected an illegal drug in
the previous year.