Drugs commonly used by teenagers

Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco are the three most commonly used drugs among young people. According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australians aged 14–19 years, in 2010:

• 67 per cent had tried alcohol and just over one in five (21.1 per cent) were drinking alcohol on a weekly basis.
• One in five (21.5 per cent) had tried cannabis.
• Just under 12 per cent had tried tobacco and just under seven per cent smoked on a daily basis.
• Just over two per cent had tried amphetamines for non-medical reasons.
• 4.7 per cent had tried ecstasy.
• 2.1 per cent had tried inhalants – such as petrol, glue and solvents.
• 2.1 per cent had tried cocaine.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australians also found that just 0.3 per cent of 14–19 year olds had tried heroin in 2007 (statistics for this age group are not available for 2010).