Kids follow parents into drugs

Australians whose parents smoked dope are more likely to use illicit drugs, according to HILDA.

According to the survey ­responses, 12 per cent of Australians aged 15 or above have used at least one illicit drug in the past year.

Australians whose parents smoked dope are more likely to use illicit drugs, according to HILDA’s first questions about ­illicit drugs.

Almost a third (31.4 per cent) of respondents whose mothers reported a history of cannabis use had also used an illicit drug in the past year, compared with 12.7 per cent of those whose mother ­reported no history of cannabis use.

Report author Peter Butterworth said the results for HILDA were different to other surveys about family drug use because members of the same household were reporting for themselves.

“We can have more confidence in the nature of this section ­because it’s the parents reporting what parents have done and the children reporting what children have done,” he said.

Professor Butterworth said the survey also found people with self-reported high or very high psychological distress were also five percentage points more likely to have consumed drugs in the past 12 months.

He said the correlation raised questions about whether poor mental health drove drug use or whether it was a consequence.

Family history - cannadbis use by parents of drug users

“It’s an important thing to keep in mind,” he said.

The survey also provided a breakdown of the type of person most likely to have used drugs, ­favouring a male in his 20s with no children at home who was a daily smoker, had problems with alcohol consumption and was ­assaulted in the past year.

While there has been a strong focus nationally on the prevalance of ice use in regional and ­remote areas, Professor Butterworth said there wasn’t much difference across Australia where drugs as a whole were being used.

National Drug and Alcohol ­Research Centre director Michael Farrell said the HILDA results were consistent with other studies.

“It’s very clear that if kids are exposed to more alcohol in the home, it’s more permissive and more likely for them to drink themselves,” Professor Farrell said.

He said it also wasn’t surprising that there was a no difference in education levels of people who had consumed illicit drugs in the past 12 months.

“Looking at use rather than problems or dependence, it’s a bit like when you look at alcohol: the people with more disposable income tend to use more than people with less disposable income,” Professor Farrell said.

However, he said income levels correlated to a greater difference when looking at problematic use. It would be interesting for future questions about drug use to capture socio-economic status of the respondents, he said.

Alcohol and Drug Foundation spokeswoman Melinda Lucas said the survey’s benefits would show up in years to come.

“I think the benefit of this is probably going to be seen in five years’ time when this group are asked the same questions,” she said.

“I think it’s important they ask the same questions so you do have something that’s accurate to make comparisons.”

According to the survey ­responses, 12 per cent of Australians aged 15 or above have used at least one illicit drug in the past year. Males were almost twice as likely to have recently used drugs as females (15.5 per cent versus 8.6 per cent).

The first use of an illicit drug is more likely to occur between the ages of 15 and 21.