Substance use and misuse: Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2007

Alcohol consumption and harm |
Tobacco consumption and harm |
Drug and other substance use and harm

Alcohol Consumption at Long Term Risky To High Risk Levels, Adults in Non-Remote Areas Substance use and misuse can have far reaching effects on a person’s quality of life and health, and on those around them. The end result may be a reduction in life expectancy. A range of social factors can influence the misuse of substances, such as socioeconomic status, unemployment and poor education.

Alcohol consumption and harm

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased illness. As well as health risks to the individual, high levels of alcohol consumption also contribute to domestic violence, financial problems, child abuse and family breakdowns. In the case of pregnant women, excessive alcohol consumption can also affect the health of new born infants.

KEY MESSAGES

In 2004-05, after adjusting for age differences, survey results indicated that:

a higher proportion of Indigenous adults reported that they did not drink or had never drunk alcohol (53 per cent) compared to non-Indigenous adults (36 per cent) (table 8.1.2)
among those who drank alcohol, the reported rate of long term risky to high risk drinking for Indigenous people was not statistically different to that for non- Indigenous people (figure 8.1.2); the rate of short term risky to high risk drinking for Indigenous people (17 per cent) was nearly double the rate for non-Indigenous people (8 per cent) (table 8.1.3).

Among Indigenous people living in nonremote areas, more Indigenous women reported long term risky to high risk alcohol consumption in 2004-05 (14 per cent) than in 1995 and 2001 (6 and 9 per cent respectively) (figure 8.1.3). There was little change in long term risky to high risk alcohol consumption by Indigenous men over the same periods.

Over the period from 1999-2000 to 2004-05, Indigenous homicides were more than three times as likely as non-Indigenous homicides to have involved both the offender and victim having consumed alcohol (figure 8.1.4). However, the overall level of alcohol involvement in Indigenous homicides fell from 85 to 71 per cent over the period (figure 8.1.5).

THINGS THAT WORK

The Groote Eylandt Liquor Management Plan in the NT was developed in 2005 to reduce the number and harm of liquor related incidents in Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island (box 8.1.2).

Tobacoo consumption and harm

Tobacco use is an important contributor to premature death and ill-health. It is estimated that smoking is responsible for 20 per cent of all cancers and 21 per cent of heart disease in Australia. In addition to the long term health risks, tobacco use among low income groups can have immediate, insidious effects, by diverting scarce family resources away from beneficial uses.

Tobacco use is often associated with other lifestyle related health risk factors, such as excessive alcohol consumption, low levels of physical activity and poor diet.

KEY MESSAGES

Nationally, in 2004-05:

50 per cent of Indigenous adults were current daily smokers (figure 8.2.1)
after adjusting for age differences, Indigenous adults were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to be daily smokers (46 per cent compared to 21 per cent) (table 8A.2.2).

From 1995 to 2004-05 the proportion of current daily smokers among both Indigenous women and men living in non-remote areas remained constant (figure 8.2.3).

Drug and other substance use and harm

Reducing drug-related harm will improve health, social and economic outcomes at both the individual and community level. Illicit drug consumption has played a role in the involvement of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. There is a strong connection between domestic violence and drug and alcohol use in Indigenous communities. The use of substances such as inhalants (for example, petrol and glue) can lead to brain damage, disability or even death.

KEY MESSAGES

In 2004-05:

28 per cent of Indigenous adults living in non-remote areas reported illicit substance use in the previous 12 months (table 8.3.1)
marijuana (23 per cent), amphetamines (7 per cent) and analgesics/sedatives (for nonmedical purposes) (6 per cent) were the most commonly used substances (table 8.3.1).

For all homicides recorded from 1999-2000 to 2004-05, a lower proportion of Indigenous homicides than non-Indigenous homicides occurred under the influence of drugs (23 per cent compared to 35 per cent) (figure 8.3.2).

THINGS THAT WORK

The introduction of alternative fuels with low aromatics in more than fifty Indigenous communities in the Central Desert Region of the NT, WA and SA has been successful in reducing the incidence of and harm from petrol sniffing (box 8.3.2).

The Mt Theo Program successfully eliminated regular petrol sniffing in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community northwest of Alice Springs, NT (box 8.3.2).

Report Chapter 8: Substance use and misuse
(PDF document)

Attachment 8A
(Excel document)

See next strategic area for action: Functional and resilient families and communities.