NewsBite

‘Major shift’: Young women taking more drugs and drinking heavily

Jill Margo
Jill MargoSenior writer

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Young Australian women have been drinking more since the pandemic and are now taking as many illicit drugs as young men, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey for 2022-23.

In 2019, a quarter of women aged 18 to 24 used illicit drugs. Now, it is one in three. Their use of cannabis is up from 20 to 26 per cent and cocaine is up from 8 to almost 12 per cent.

Loading...
Jill Margo is based in the Sydney office. Jill has won multiple prizes, including two Walkley Awards and is an adjunct associate professor at School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Australia. Connect with Jill on Twitter. Email Jill at jmargo@afr.com

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Read More

Latest In Health & education

Fetching latest articles

Most Viewed In Policy

    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/major-shift-young-women-taking-more-drugs-and-drinking-heavily-20240228-p5f8h2