LESS than 10% of Australians are smoking cigarettes and tobacco daily, but the use of e-cigarettes has tripled between 2019 and 2022-2023, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
"Vaping was most common among people aged 18-24, with current use increasing substantially between 2019 (5.3%) and 2022-2023 (21%), said AIHW spokesperson Dr Gabrielle Phillips.
"Half (49%) of people aged 18-24 reported having tried an e-cigarette in their lifetime," Phillips added.
According to the newly released National Drug Strategy Household Survey, the proportion of people who have never lit up continues to rise, up from 49% in 1991 to 65% in 2022-2023.
On the other hand, alcohol is still the most commonly used drug, with 77% of Australians consuming it in the previous 12 months.
One in three were reported to drink in a manner that puts their health at risk.
"Despite updated guidelines to reduce alcohol-related harms, the proportion of people in Australia who drink alcohol at risky levels has not changed since 2019," commented Phillips.
Meanwhile, 18% of Australians over the age of 14 have used an illicit drug in the past 12 months.
In fact, almost half (47%) have used one in their lifetime.
While the use of many illicit drugs such as cannabis and cocaine remained stable between 2019 and 2022-2023, some are now on the rise: the use of hallucinogens has increased from 1.6% to 2.4% and ketamines is up from 0.9% to 1.5%. JHM
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