Territorians turn to pot
THE Northern Territory remains home to Australia’s hardest drinkers, smokers and drug users, according to data.
The Australian Institute of Health Welfare’s (AIHW) Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs web report, released on Friday, found the NT had the nation’s highest proportion of people aged 14 or over who smoked daily (14.7 per cent), drank daily (8.2 per cent) and had used illicit drugs over the previous year (19.6 per cent) in 2019.
Australia-wide, the proportion of daily smokers stood at 11 per cent, daily drinkers at 5.4 per cent and illicit drug users over the past year at 16.4 per cent.
Among the vast majority of Territorians who don’t smoke daily, 3.5 per cent were occasional smokers, 22 per cent were former smokers and 60 per cent had never touched a cigarette; while for alcohol, 38 per cent drank weekly, 18.6 per cent monthly, 14 per cent less than monthly, and 12.7 per cent never, with 8.8 per cent classing themselves as former drinkers.
Cannabis was the most popular illicit drug with Territorians, consumed by 15.9 per cent of residents in the previous year, followed by cocaine (3.1 per cent), ecstasy (3 per cent) and methamphetamines (1.5 per cent).
Australian Medical Association NT (AMA NT) president Dr Robert Parker said the figures were not surprising as NT’s population makeup, lifestyle and isolation presented a number of risk factors for substance abuse.
“The NT has a younger population and lower health literacy than most parts of Australia, plus it is remote and has a high incidence of mental health problems, and those sorts of issues all have an impact,” he said.
“Those factors are well-acquainted with poorer health outcomes, which include substance abuse.”
Dr Parker said in terms of public harm, “alcohol (was) still by far the most dangerous drug” in the NT, followed by synthetic cannabis, or Kronic, and methamphetamine.
However, Dr Parker said tobacco was the biggest killer, particularly among Indigenous Territorians.
Alcohol and Drug Foundation NT manager Sally Underdown said the NT’s high rate of alcohol consumption, in particular, was well-known, but the minimum floor price on alcohol introduced by the Territory government in 2018 was starting to make inroads.
“The 2017 Riley Review found the Territory had the highest per-capita rate of alcohol consumption in Australia, one of the highest in the world, and the highest rate of hospitalisations due to alcohol misuse,” she said. “The Territory also had the nation’s highest rates of alcohol-related crime, violence and death.
“However, there has been some good news.
“There has been a 26 per cent decrease in alcohol-related assaults since the introduction the country’s first alcohol floor price and other measures.”
Ms Underdown said alcohol abuse could lead to serious long-term health impacts including illness, injuries or addiction, while for illicit drugs there was “no safe level” of use.