Substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

The purpose of this report from the AIHW is to provide an overview of the prevalence of substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as the use of services for substance abuse. The report focuses on three main categories of substance that have major health implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: tobacco smoking, alcohol use and illicit substance use.

Some of the data includes the fact that tobacco smoking in these groups has declined slightly over time, although it is still high. Indigenous Australians were twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to binge drink (17% and 8% respectively), but the proportion of Indigenous (15%) and non-Indigenous people (14%) who drank at long-term (chronic), risky or high-risk levels was similar.