final indigenous students in assad 2008 · use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-counter and...

Use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-

counter and illicit substances among Indigenous students participating in the Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey 2008

Report

Report prepared for:

Drug Strategy Branch

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

Report prepared by:

Geoff Smith

Victoria White

February 2010

Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer

Cancer Control Research Institute

The Cancer Council Victoria

Acknowledgments:

The Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer at The Cancer Council Victoria gratefully

acknowledges the cooperation and assistance of the following people and organisations in

the running of this survey:

All of the students who participated in the survey:

Staff of the participating schools

State Departments of Education

State and Diocese Catholic Education Offices

State Associations of Independent Schools

The following organisations helped fund and organise the smooth running of the survey in

their individual States or Territories:

ACT Health, Epidemiology Branch, Population Health Division

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

The Cancer Council South Australia

The Cancer Council Tasmania

The Cancer Council Victoria

Drug and Alcohol Services Council, SA

Department of Education, Tasmania

Department of Human Services, Victoria - Drug Treatment Services,

Population Health Unit, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania

Premier’s Physical Activity Council, Tasmania,

Health Department of Western Australia – Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Branch,

Drug and Alcohol Office

Northern Territory Government, Department of Health and Community Services-Alcohol

and Other Drugs Program

NSW Health Department, Health Survey Program, Centre for Epidemiology and Research

Queensland Cancer Fund

Queensland Health

The following people co-ordinated the survey in their State or Territory and/or organised

data collection:

Simeon Jones, Samantha Williams, The Cancer Council South Australia

Cathy Baker, Epidemiology Branch, Population Health Division, ACT Health

Margo Barr and Matthew Gorringe, Health Survey Program, Centre for Epidemiology and

Research, NSW Health

Chris Moon and Tania Davison, Alcohol and Other Drugs Program, NT Department of

Health and Community Services

Catherine McGregor and Rachelle Kalic, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Branch,

Drug and Alcohol Office, Western Australia

Glen Paley and Kay Gunn, The Cancer Council Tasmania

Jenny Madden and David Knobel, Community Solutions, Queensland

Ron Clarke, McNair Ingenuity Research, NSW

Jeanette McQueen, Savant Surveys and Strategies Western Australia

Suzanna Vidmar, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Royal Children’s Hospital,

Victoria, advised on all aspects of sampling.

Thanks also to all the research assistants who administered the survey to students

throughout Australia.

Substance use among Indigenous Australian secondary school students 2008

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1

1. Introduction 4

The Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey

(ASSAD): Indigenous Students...................................................... 4

2. Method 5

2.1 Sample selection......................................................................... 5

2.2 Procedure .................................................................................. 6

2.3 Questionnaire............................................................................. 6

2.3.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status..................................... 6

2.3.2 Tobacco Questions ...................................................................... 6

2.3.3 Alcohol Questions........................................................................ 6

2.3.4 Licit and Illicit Drug Questions ....................................................... 7

2.4 Coding and editing of data ............................................................ 7

2.5 Sample size and comparison of the two samples............................... 7

2.6 Data analyses: ........................................................................... 8

2.7 Definitions of substances ............................................................ 10

2.8 Definitions of frequency of use of different substances..................... 11

2.8.1 Tobacco................................................................................... 11

2.8.2 Alcohol use .............................................................................. 11

2.8.3 Drug use ................................................................................. 11

3. Tobacco use by Indigenous students,

participating in ASSAD 2008 13

3.1 Tobacco use among Indigenous students ...................................... 13

3.2 How easy do Indigenous students think it is to purchase

cigarettes?............................................................................... 14

3.3 How likely are Indigenous students to smoke in the next

year? 15

3.4 Indigenous Students’ Ability to Purchase Cigarettes ........................ 16

4. Alcohol use by Indigenous students, participating

in ASSAD 2008 17

4.1 Alcohol use by Indigenous students in 2008................................... 17

4.2 Types of alcohol consumed by current drinkers (drank in past

7 days) ................................................................................... 18

4.3 Indigenous students’ access to Alcohol ......................................... 19

4.4 Where do Indigenous students drink alcohol?................................. 20

4.5 Adult supervision of drinking ....................................................... 20

Substance use among Indigenous Australian secondary school students 2008 ii

5. Use of over the counter and illicit substances

among Indigenous secondary students

participating in ASSAD 2008 21

5.1 Analgesics ............................................................................... 21

5.2 Tranquillisers............................................................................ 24

5.3 Cannabis ................................................................................. 25

5.3.1 Location of cannabis use ............................................................ 26

5.3.2 Method of cannabis use.............................................................. 26

5.3.3 Use of other substances while using cannabis ................................ 27

5.4 Inhalants ................................................................................. 28

5.5 Hallucinogens ........................................................................... 29

5.5.1 Use of other substances while using hallucinogens .......................... 30

5.6 Amphetamines ......................................................................... 31

5.6.1 Use of other substances while using amphetamines ........................ 32

5.7 Steroids................................................................................... 33

5.8 Opiates ................................................................................... 34

5.9 Cocaine ................................................................................... 35

5.10 Ecstasy ................................................................................... 36

5.10.1 Use of other substances while using ecstasy .................................. 37

5.11 Use of Any Illicit Substance......................................................... 38

References 40

Appendix 1: Questionnaire 41

Appendix 2: Data matters 57

Appendix 3: 95% Confidence intervals 58

Substance use among Indigenous Australian secondary school students 2008 1

Executive Summary

Substance use among Indigenous students participating in the

2008 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey

The 2008 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) Survey was conducted

during the academic school year of 2008. The ASSAD survey targets students in

mainstream schools in all states and territories in Australia. Within each state and territory,

schools are randomly selected within the three main education sectors. Around 24,000

secondary students aged between 12 to 17 years from 381 secondary schools completed

the 2008 survey, answering questions about their lifetime and current use of tobacco,

alcohol, analgesics, tranquillisers and illicit substances. Research assistants administered

the survey to the randomly selected students on the school premises and students

answered the questionnaire anonymously.

In 2008, students from an additional 19 schools from rural areas in Western Australia,

Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory were also surveyed. From the 400

schools surveyed as part of the 2008 ASSAD and ASSAD Extension, 1317 students aged

between 12 and 15 years identified themselves as Indigenous Australians. This report is

based on data from this combined group of students. Prevalence estimates for the use of

the different substances by Indigenous students are presented for males, females and all

students for the age groups: 12 to 13 years, 14 to 15 years, and 12 to 15 years.

Prevalence estimates found among 12- to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample are also

presented.

Tobacco

In 2008, around 35% of 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students had smoked in their

lifetime with 15% smoking in the month before the survey and 12% smoking in the week

before the survey (current smokers). Smoking was more common among Indigenous

students than 12- to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample (Never Smoked: Difference =

13.7%; 95% CI = 11.0% to 16.4%).

Seventy percent of all Indigenous students surveyed did not think they would be smoking

in 12 months time. Among Indigenous students who were current smokers, 49% thought it

was likely or certain they would be smoking in 12 months time, a proportion similar to the

46% of current smokers in the main ASSAD sample.

Alcohol

The proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who had never tried alcohol

(27%), was higher than the proportion found for 12- to 15-year-olds (22%) in the main

ASSAD sample (Difference 5.6%; 95% CI = 3.1% to 8.1%).

Over half of the Indigenous students (55%) consumed alcohol in the year prior to the

survey, with 35% consuming alcohol in the previous month. A higher proportion of

Indigenous students (23%) reported consuming alcohol in the week before the survey.

than the proportion found in the main ASSAD sample (17%) (Difference = 5.9%; 95% CI

= 3.6% to 8.2%).


The most commonly consumed drinks among Indigenous students were spirits (44%) and

premixed spirits (29%). These were also the most common drinks among students in the

main ASSAD sample. Drinking spirits was more common among Indigenous current

drinkers than current drinkers in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 13%; 95%; CI =

7.3% to 18.7%).

Parents and friends were the main source of alcohol for both Indigenous current drinkers

and those in the main ASSAD sample. For Indigenous students, alcohol was mainly

consumed at home (30%) or at a party (29%) again this was a similar finding to that in

the main ASSAD sample.

Over-the-counter and illicit substances

Analgesics: Students were asked about use of analgesics. Analgesics were the most

commonly used substance (licit or illicit) among Indigenous students. Among 12- to 15-

year-olds, 89% of Indigenous students had used an analgesic at some time, lower than the

95% in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 5.6%; 95% CI = 3.9% to 7.3%). Sixty-

seven percent of Indigenous students had used analgesics in the four weeks prior to the

survey, and 43% had used analgesics in the week prior to the survey. The main reasons

for using analgesics were headaches/migraine, and parents were the most common source

of analgesics for all students.

Tranquillisers: Use of tranquillisers other than for medical reasons among Indigenous

students was low, with 80% never having used tranquillisers. Around 9% of Indigenous

students aged 12 to 15 years had used tranquillisers in the month prior to the survey.

Cannabis: Cannabis was the most commonly used illicit substance among Indigenous

students, with 20% of students aged between 12 and 15 years reporting the use of

cannabis at some time in their life. This was higher than the proportion of 12- to 15-year-

old students in the main ASSAD sample reporting ever having used cannabis (9%)

(Difference = 10.1%; 95% CI = 7.9% to 12.3%). Around 10% of Indigenous students

aged 12 to 15 years had used cannabis in the month before the survey. Cannabis use was

greater among Indigenous 14- to 15-year-olds than Indigenous 12- to 13-year-olds

(p<.01). The main place for consuming cannabis was at a friend’s place and smoking a

bong or a pipe was the most common way of using cannabis.

Inhalants: Around 24% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years had ever used

inhalants with 18% using inhalants in the previous year and 13% in the previous month.

Prevalence of inhalant use was similar among 12- to 13-year-olds and 14- to 15-year-olds.

Hallucinogens: Five percent of Indigenous students aged 12- to 15-years reported some

experience with hallucinogens, compared with 2% of students in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 2.7%; 95% CI = 1.5% to 3.9%). Ever use increased with age, rising from

3% of 12- to 13-year-olds to 8% of 14- and 15-year-olds (p<.01).

Amphetamines: The majority (92%) of Indigenous students aged 12- to 15-years had

never used amphetamines. Lifetime use increased with age and among 14- to 15-year-

olds, 12% reported having had some experience with amphetamines. Around 5% of 12- to

15-year-old Indigenous students reported using amphetamines in the month before the

survey.

Steroids: Steroid use without a doctor’s prescription was very uncommon, with only around

7% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years reported having ever used these

substances.


Opiates: A small proportion of Indigenous students (5%) reported that they had ever used

opiates such as heroin or morphine.

Cocaine: Use of cocaine was rare among Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years with

only 5% reporting to have ever used cocaine.

Ecstasy: Only 6% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years reported to have ever used

ecstasy. Use of ecstasy was more common among 14- to 15-year-olds than 12- to 13-

year-olds (p<.01). Seven percent of Indigenous students aged 14 to 15 years reported

using ecstasy in the month prior to the survey.

Use of any illicit substance: Around 23% of Indigenous students aged between 12 and 15

years indicated that they had used any of cannabis, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cocaine,

opiates or ecstasy in their lifetime. Lifetime use of any illicit substance was more common

among the Indigenous students than for the students in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 11.4%; 95% CI = 9.1% to 13.7%).

When cannabis was excluded from this list, 11% of 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students

had used at least one of the remaining illicit substances in their lifetime, again more

common than in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 5.4%; 95% CI = 3.7% to 7.1%).


1. Introduction

The Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey

(ASSAD): Indigenous Students

The 2008 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey (ASSAD) is the ninth in

a series of triennial national surveys of secondary school students’ use of tobacco and

alcohol conducted since 1984. In 1996, the survey was expanded to include questions on

the use of illicit substances and federal, state and territory health departments became

collaborators in the project. The ASSAD study was designed to provide estimates of the

current prevalence of use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances among Australian

secondary school students and to examine trends in substance use among this group.

The design of the 2008 ASSAD survey was the same as that used in previous ASSAD

studies. The study sampled secondary schools throughout Australia and within these

schools surveyed a sample of students. Students from the three main education sectors

participated in the survey. As schools were used to sample adolescents, those who have

left school are not included in the survey. About 24,000 secondary students aged 12 to 17

completed the survey in 2008.

The numbers of students surveyed in the ASSAD study are sufficient to allow age-and

gender-specific estimates at a national and state level. As the student population in each

state or territory is largely concentrated around the capital city, most students currently

surveyed are drawn from schools in metropolitan areas. This means that the study is less

able to determine reliable estimates of substance use among groups of students that

predominantly reside in rural areas of Australia. To address this, funding was received from

the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing in the middle of 2008 to increase the

number of students aged 12 to 15 years from rural areas in Australia participating in the

ASSAD survey. The schools and students surveyed as part of this extra funding are

referred to as the ASSAD extension sample.

As the ASSAD study has surveyed a random sample of students from a random sample of

school students, Indigenous students at secondary schools may be selected to be part of

the study sample. Around 3-4% of students participating in previous ASSAD surveys have

self-identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander descent. This is similar to

the proportion of Indigenous students in secondary schools throughout Australia (ABS,

2009). As a consequence of increasing the number of students from rural communities in

the ASSAD survey, the number of Indigenous students participating in the survey also

increased. This increase enables a greater exploration of substance use among Indigenous

students participating in the ASSAD study.

In this report we combine data from the main ASSAD sample and the ASSAD extension

sample to examine the prevalence of use of tobacco, alcohol, over the counter and illicit

substances among Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years participating in the national

ASSAD study.


2. Method

2.1 Sample selection

As indicated, the data reported here are drawn from the main ASSAD survey and the

ASSAD extension survey. Details of the sampling procedures for the main ASSAD survey

are reported in detail elsewhere (White and Smith, 2009). In brief, the basic sampling

design was a stratified two-stage probability sample, with schools selected at the first

stage and students at the second. Sampling occurred at the beginning of the year in which

the survey was conducted. Schools were randomly sampled from the three main education

sectors within each Australian state and territory to ensure proportional representation.

Principals of selected schools gave permission to conduct the survey. When a school

refused participation, the school located nearest to it, within the same education sector,

replaced it. In general researchers randomly selected a total of 80 students from across

predetermined Year levels for survey participation. Sampling was conducted using the

school rolls for the targeted year levels (either Years 7-10) or Years 11 and 12). In New

South Wales and in a small number of schools in other states and territories, rather than

selecting a random sample of students, intact classes of students were randomly selected

within the required year levels. Only classes where students were not selected on any

ability or performance measures were included in this process. A total of 381 secondary

schools participated in the main ASSAD survey and students from year levels 7 to 12 were

surveyed.

Sample selection for the ASSAD Extension survey occurred in the second half of the 2008

school year. Due to this later timing Tasmania and NSW declined to participate in the

ASSAD Extension sample. The ACT did not participate in the ASSAD extension survey as all

schools had been previously selected for the main ASSAD study or another national study

that was in the field in 2008.

The target population for the ASSAD Extension survey was all students in Years 7 to 10 in

secondary schools from the three main education sectors in Victoria, Queensland, Western

Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory. Within each jurisdiction, schools catering

for special populations, schools with fewer than 50 students and schools in very remote

regions according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Accessibility/Remoteness Index of

Australia (ABS, 2001) were ineligible for study participation. Student population estimates

were based on the most up-to-date figures available from state and federal education

departments at the time.

Principals of selected schools were contacted and gave permission to conduct the survey

within their school. To maximize the number of students participating in the ASSAD

extension study, schools were asked to allow surveying of two classes from each year level

(Years 7 to 10). In these schools only classes where students were not grouped by any

measure of ability were selected for surveying forty-eight secondary schools and relevant

feeder primary schools (to survey Year 7 students in Western Australia, South Australia,

and Queensland) were approached to take part in the study at the beginning of the 4th

school term. Nineteen schools (and four feeder primary schools) agreed to allow

participation by one or two classes from each year level rather than all students. The most

common reasons for not participating were the late timing of the invitation or the school

having participated in previous surveys in that school year.

All surveying took place in the 2008 academic school year.


2.2 Procedure

The procedure for survey administration was the same for both the main ASSAD survey

and the ASSAD Extension Survey.

Following the protocol used in past surveys, members of the research team administered

the pencil-and-paper questionnaire to groups of students on the school premises. Students

answered the questionnaire anonymously. Although the presence of teachers during the

survey was discouraged, the policy of the education departments in each State and the

policies of individual schools decided if teachers should remain in the room when the

survey was being administered. In the main ASSAD study, 78% of students completed the

survey in the presence of teachers, as did 80% of students in the ASSAD extension

sample. Students completing the survey in the presence of a teacher were significantly less

likely to report drinking in the past year and month and were less likely to use ecstasy in

the past year and month than those completing the survey with a teacher present. The

presence of a teacher during surveying was not associated with reported use of any other

substance.

2.3 Questionnaire

In 2008, students completed a 15-page core questionnaire (see Appendix 1). The

questionnaire covered the use of tobacco, alcohol, pain relievers, tranquillisers and the use

of illicit substances such as cannabis and hallucinogens. Questions assessing use of

different substances were the same as those used in previous surveys in this series. While

the street names of illicit substances were included in the survey the terminology may have

been unfamiliar to respondents. Where students indicated they did not know the

substance, the substance name was read out and an effort was made to explain/describe

the substance to them.

2.3.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status

As part of the demographic information collected about students participating in the

survey, students answered the question “Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

descent?” Students could choose a response from the following: “Yes – Aboriginal

descent”; “Yes – Torres Strait Islander Descent”; “Yes – Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander descent” or “No”. Students choosing any of the “Yes” responses were classified as

Indigenous.

2.3.2 Tobacco Questions

Questions assessed ever use of tobacco, use in the past 12 months, four weeks and on

each of the seven days preceding the survey. Students who had used tobacco in the

previous seven days were asked to indicate the source of their last cigarette. Students also

indicated their intention to smoke cigarettes in the next 12 months.

2.3.3 Alcohol Questions

Questions assessed ‘ever use’ of alcohol, use of alcohol in the past 12 months, four weeks,

and on each of the seven days preceding the survey. Students who had used alcohol were

asked to indicate the usual type of alcohol consumed (e.g., beer, wine, spirits, premixed),

the source of their last alcoholic drink and where they consumed this drink.


2.3.4 Licit and Illicit Drug Questions

A wide range of licit and illicit drugs represented in the questionnaire, includes analgesics,

tranquillisers, cannabis, amphetamines, inhalants and steroids for each substance, the

technical name was used in the question and was accompanied by explanations, examples

and alternative terminology to clarify what substance was included in that category. The

substances covered were analgesics, sedatives, cannabis, steroids, inhalants,

amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, opiates and hallucinogens.

For each substance, students were asked to indicate the number of times, if ever, they had

used or taken the substance in four time periods: the past week, the past four weeks, the

past year, and their lifetime. Students could choose from seven response categories

ranging from ‘None’ to ‘40 or more times’. The questions concerning the use of sedatives,

steroids, amphetamines and opiates explicitly asked about the non-medical use of these

substances.

Students were asked to indicate the reasons for using their last analgesic and how they

obtained this analgesic. Students who had used cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy and

hallucinogens in the past year were asked if they had used any other substance(s) on the

same occasion as using these substances. Students indicated the substances they had used

from a list that included alcohol, tobacco, analgesics, cannabis, amphetamines and

hallucinogens. Students who had not used any other substances could indicate this

response from the list.

Students who had used cannabis in the 12 months preceding the survey were asked to

indicate where they usually used cannabis and how it was usually used (eg, joint, bong, as

food or other).

To reduce order effects, two versions of the questionnaire were used. The first version had

alcohol-related questions first; the second had smoking-related questions first. Questions

regarding other drug use always followed both the alcohol and tobacco sections.

2.4 Coding and editing of data

For both the main ASSAD study and the ASSAD Extension sample, the Centre for

Behavioural Research in Cancer at The Cancer Council Victoria catalogued questionnaires

from all States. Questionnaires were scanned and converted into a data file, and a

commercial market research firm cleaned data according to rules established by the

researchers and employed for previous ASSAD surveys. Students with a large amount of

missing data, or whose responses were wildly exaggerated, were removed from the data

set before analyses started.

Details regarding the cleaning procedures followed are given in Appendix 2.

2.5 Sample size and comparison of the two samples

The students self-identifying as being of Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander descent in

the ASSAD Extension Survey were combined with those self-identifying as being of

Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander descent from the main ASSAD study for this report. A

total of 1468 Indigenous students in Year levels 7 to 10 participated in the two ASSAD

surveys in 2008, and comprise the combined Indigenous sample. Where this report refers

to ‘Indigenous students’ it is the combined Indigenous sample being considered. Results

from the combined Indigenous sample are compared with findings from students

participating in only the main ASSAD study. Students aged 12 to 15 years who were

surveyed as part of the main ASSAD study are referred to as the main ASSAD sample.


Table 2.1 presents the number of Indigenous students in each gender and age group

between 12 and 15 years. Data from 159 students outside this age range were excluded

from analyses. Of the 12- to 15-year-old students in the combined Indigenous sample,

1010 were from the main ASSAD sample and 307 were from the ASSAD Extension survey.

Table 2.1: Number of Indigenous students participating in the combined Indigenous sample

in 2008, by age and gender

Age

12 13 14 15 12–15

Male 90 179 200 175 644

Female 97 213 205 158 673

Total 187 392 405 333 1317

Given the aim of the ASSAD Extension survey was to survey more students from rural

areas of Australia, 96% of the Indigenous students in the ASSAD Extension survey resided

in rural areas. In the main ASSAD sample 66% of students identifying as Indigenous

indicated they resided in rural areas of Australia. We compared the socio-economic level of

Indigenous students from rural areas participating in the main ASSAD sample and the

ASSAD Extension using the area-based Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage

(IRSD) (ABS, 2003). The Australian Bureau of Statistics determines the IRSD from 20

direct or indirect indicators of disadvantage obtained from census data. Indicators include

the proportion of: unemployed males and females, one-parent families with dependent

children, people over 15 with no qualifications, households renting etc. A score reflecting

the degree to which that area is disadvantaged is given to each area. High scores reflect

higher levels of disadvantage. A score for each postcode area in Australia has been

developed using data from the 2006 census and we matched this score to the postcode

each student reported residing in. The average IRSD for rural students aged 12 to 15

years in the main ASSAD sample and the ASSAD Extension survey are shown in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2: Mean IRSD (Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage) scores for Indigenous students residing in rural areas by survey

ASSAD

Main Extension All

Rural 925.4 937.9 929.3

While Indigenous students in the ASSAD Extension study had slightly higher mean scores

on the measure of disadvantage than Indigenous students from rural areas in the main

ASSAD sample, this difference was not statistically significant.

2.6 Data analyses:

As not all states participated in the ASSAD Extension study, the proportion of Indigenous

students from each state and territory in the combined sample is unlikely to reflect the

distribution of Indigenous students throughout Australia. To address this, data were

weighted to bring the achieved sample into line with the distribution of the population of

12- to 15-year-olds Indigenous students in secondary schools in each state and territory

throughout Australia. The prevalence estimates reported here are based on these weighted

data. Information regarding enrolment numbers of male and female Indigenous students in


each age group in the three education sectors was obtained from the Australian Bureau of

Statistics.

In this report we present the proportion of male, female and all Indigenous students in age

groups 12 to 13 years, 14 to 15 years and 12 to 15 years that have used substances in

different time periods (see section 2.8).

Respondents were not included in the analysis for a specific question if they gave

contradictory or multiple responses or did not answer the question. However, these

respondents were included in the analysis of other questions if these had been validly

completed.

As this report is based on data from a sample, it is necessary to allow for sampling error.

Prevalence estimates are provided for information, regardless of their levels of statistical

reliability for percentages or proportions, the sampling error is generally indicated by the

95% confidence interval. The 95% confidence interval is based on both the number of

students in the specific group examined (i.e. 12- to 13-year-old boys) and the percentage

reported (i.e., 15%). The confidence interval is larger when the sample size is small and

the estimate is around 50%. For this report, the largest confidence interval will be found

for 12- to 13-year-old boys as this group has the smallest sample size (n=269). The 95%

confidence interval for 12- to 13-year-old boys around an estimate of 50% is ±6.0%,

meaning that the actual percentage will be between 44.0% and 56.0%. The smallest

confidence intervals will be found for estimates among all Indigenous students aged 12 to

15 years. With a sample size of 1317, 95% confidence intervals range from ±2.7% for

estimates around 50% to ±1.6% for estimates around 10%. When interpreting results,

readers should refer to the table of confidence intervals associated with the sample size

achieved for each age and gender group (Appendix 3). The reader should be aware that

some results may be statistically indistinguishable from zero based on the 95% Confidence

Interval associated with the estimate.

In addition, caution should be used when interpreting the reported findings as they are

based on self-reported data and not empirical testing of the substance(s) used.

Given the sample size only those results associated with a p value of p<.05 were taken to

be statistically significant.

In the tables presented in Sections 3 to 5, in addition to presenting findings for the

combined Indigenous students sample, the findings from the main ASSAD sample

regarding the proportion of 12- to 15-year-old students using the different substances are

also presented. This information is presented to provide the background level of substance

use among all 12- to 15-year-old Australian secondary students in 2008. Where

proportions from the main ASSAD sample and the combined Indigenous sample are

compared, the difference in proportions and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) around

this difference is presented. When the 95% CIs around the difference in proportions do not

include zero, the difference is considered statistically significant at the p<.05 level.


2.7 Definitions of substances

The substance categories used in this report were identical to the categories used in the

questionnaire and follow the descriptions and examples provided to students, as follows:

Alcohol: Ordinary beer, low alcohol beer, wine, wine cooler, champagne

or sparkling wine, alcoholic apple cider, alcoholic sodas,

premixed spirits, spirits, or liqueurs.

Amphetamines: Amphetamines or speed, uppers, MDA, goey, dex, dexies,

dexamphetamine, ox blood, methamphetamine or ice, other

than for medical reasons.

Analgesics: Painkillers/analgesics such as ‘Disprin’, ‘Panadol’ or ‘Aspro’.

Cannabis: Marijuana, grass, hash, cannabis, dope, weed, mull, yarndi,

ganga, pot, a bong, or a joint.

Cocaine: Cocaine.

Ecstasy: Ecstasy or XTC, E, MDMA, ecci, X, bickies.

Hallucinogens: LSD, acid, trips, Magic Mushrooms, Datura, Angel’s Trumpet.

Inhalants: Deliberately sniffed (inhaled) from spray cans or sniffed things

like glue, paint, petrol or thinners in order to get high or for the

way it makes you feel.

Opiates: Heroin, smack, horse, skag, hammer, H, or other opiates

(narcotics) such as methadone, morphine or pethidine other

than for medical reasons.

Tobacco: Cigarettes,

Tranquillisers: Sleeping tablets, tranquillisers or sedatives such as ‘Rohies’,

‘Rohypnol’, ‘Barbs’, ‘Valium’ or ‘Serepax’, for non-medical

reasons.

Steroids: Steroids, muscle, roids or gear without a doctor’s prescription to

make you better at sport, to increase muscle size or to improve

your general appearance.


2.8 Definitions of frequency of use of different substances

2.8.1 Tobacco

Students were asked if they had smoked cigarettes in their lifetime, in the past year and

month, and were then asked to indicate the number of cigarettes smoked on each of the

seven days preceding the day of the survey.

The categories of tobacco use are:

Never: Those who had not had even a puff of a cigarette.

Year: Those who had smoked cigarettes within the past year.

Month: Those who had smoked cigarettes within the four weeks prior to

completing the survey.

Current

smokers:

Those who had smoked cigarettes within the seven days prior to


2.8.2 Alcohol use

Students were asked if they had consumed alcohol in their lifetime, in the past year and

past month. They were then asked to indicate the number of alcoholic drinks they

consumed on each of the seven days preceding the day of the survey.

The categories of alcohol use are:

Never: Those who had not had even a sip of an alcoholic drink.

Year: Those who had consumed an alcoholic drink within the past year.

Month: Those who had consumed an alcoholic drink within the four

weeks prior to completing the survey.

Current

drinkers:

Those who had consumed an alcoholic drink on any of the seven

days prior to completing the survey.

2.8.3 Drug use

Students were asked how many times they had used a particular drug within specified time

periods for each substance the prevalence of use within the time periods asked about (past

week, past month, past year and lifetime) is reported.

The categories of use reported are:

Never: Those who had never used the substance.

Ever: Those who indicated any use of the substance, either in their

lifetime, the past month, or past week (ever use).

Year: Those who had used the substance within the past year.

Month: Those who had used the substance within the four weeks prior to


For analgesics, tranquillisers and cannabis

Week: Those who had used the substance within the seven days prior to



For all substances, these frequency of use categories are not mutually exclusive but rather

overlap so that a student who reported having used a substance in the past week was

included in the estimates of use in all other time periods, that is, in estimates for lifetime

use, use in the past year and use in the past month.


3. Tobacco use by Indigenous students,

participating in ASSAD 2008

3.1 Tobacco use among Indigenous students

Table 3.1 shows the prevalence of smoking among Indigenous secondary school students

participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 3.1: Tobacco: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

tobacco in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never smoked

Male 76.8 54.4 66.0 78.2

Female 74.0 52.7 64.1 79.5

Total 75.4 53.6 65.1 78.8

Smoked in past year

Male 12.2 29.0 20.2 12.2

Female 16.3 35.6 25.4 13.7

Total 14.2 32.2 22.8 12.9

Smoked in past month

Male 7.4 20.6 13.7 6.6

Female 8.4 26.8 17.0 8.1

Total 7.9 23.6 15.3 7.3

Smoked in past week (current

smoker)

Male 4.6 19.1 11.5 4.8

Female 6.0 19.9 12.5 5.8

Total 5.3 19.5 12.0 5.3

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 3.5% for never smoked to a low of

±1.8% for smoking in the past week

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.6% for never smoked to a low of

±2.9% for smoking in the past week

†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years = range from a high of ± 2.6% for never smoked to a low

of ±1.8% for smoking in the past week

See Appendix 3 for 95% Confidence Intervals estimates for different proportions for each age and gender

group.

In 2008, among 12- to 13-year-old Indigenous students, 75% had never smoked

compared with 54% among Indigenous 14- and 15-year-olds.

In all time periods, smoking was more common among Indigenous 14- to 15-year-olds

than Indigenous 12- to 13-year-olds (all p<.01).

There were no significant gender differences among Indigenous students in smoking

prevalence for any of the time periods.

The proportion of all 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students (65%) who had never smoked

was lower than the proportion (79%) of all 12- to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 13.7%; 95% CI = 11.0% to 16.4%).


3.2 How easy do Indigenous students think it is to purchase

cigarettes?

All students in the ASSAD studies were asked to indicate how easy they thought it would

be for them to purchase cigarettes themselves or to get someone else to buy cigarettes for

them.

Table 3.2: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group believing it would be easy

or very easy for them to purchase cigarettes themselves or get someone else to buy

cigarettes for them, Australia, 2008.

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13

%

14-15

%

12-15

%

12-15

%

Buy cigarettes themselves

Male 17.9 27.5 22.6 16.4

Female 11.3 16.7 13.9 12.5

Total 14.6 22.2 18.3 14.5

Get others to buy

cigarettes

Male 29.5 59.8 44.4 41.8

Female 38.1 56.6 47.0 42.9

Total 33.9 58.2 45.7 42.3

Table 3.2 shows that 18% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years thought it would be

easy for them to buy cigarettes. Male Indigenous students were more likely to report that it

would be easy for them to buy cigarettes themselves than females (p<.01).

A greater proportion of Indigenous students believed it would be easy for them to buy

cigarettes, than found for all 12- to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample (15%)

(Difference = 3.8%; 95% CI = 1.6% to 6.0%).

Around 46% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years thought it would be very easy for

them to get someone else to buy cigarettes for them, compared with 42% of all students

aged 12 to 15 years in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 3.4%; 95% CI = 0.6% to

6.2%).


3.3 How likely are Indigenous students to smoke in the next

year?

Students were asked ‘Do you think you will be smoking this time next year?’ and chose a

response from those listed in Table 3.3.

Table 3.3: Intention to smoke in the next 12 months among Indigenous students

participating in ASSAD, Australia, 2008#

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13

%

13-14

%

12-15

%

12-15

%

Certain not to smoke

Males 78.0 66.1 72.3 80.1

Females 73.6 61.9 68.2 76.6

Total 75.8 64.1 70.2 78.4

Unlikely/Very unlikely to smoke

Males 14.9 17.9 16.3 13.3

Females 18.0 16.9 17.5 14.8

Total 16.4 17.4 16.9 14.0

Undecided

Males 3.9 4.9 4.4 3.7

Females 4.8 10.0 7.2 4.9

Total 4.3 7.4 5.8 4.3

Likely/Very likely to smoke

Males 2.7 4.7 3.7 1.9

Females 3.1 7.7 5.2 3.2

Total 2.9 6.1 4.4 2.5

Certain to smoke

Males 0.6 6.4 3.4 1.0

Females 0.4 3.5 1.8 0.5

Total 0.5 5.0 2.6 0.8

# Percentage of students in each age group indicating each response category.

The majority of Indigenous students surveyed were certain they would not be smokers in

12 months time. More male (72%) than female (68%) students were certain they would

not be smokers in 12 months time (p<.01).

More older Indigenous students (5%) than younger Indigenous students (0.5%) were

certain they would be smokers in 12 months.


Table 3.4: Indigenous students’ intention to smoke in the next 12 months among current

smokers, Australia, 2008#

Indigenous ASSAD

12-15

%

12-15

%

Current smokers

Certain not to smoke 14.0 9.2

Unlikely/Very unlikely to smoke 18.0 19.3

Undecided 18.7 25.9

Likely/Very likely 29.4 33.5

Certain to smoke 19.9 12.1

#Base: Students who smoked in past week.

For students who smoked in the week before the survey (current smokers), Table 3.4

shows that, 14% of Indigenous current smokers reported they were certain they would not

to be smoking in 12 months time. Although this proportion was higher than that (9%)

found for current smokers in the main ASSAD sample, this difference was not statistically

significant.

The proportion of 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students who were current smokers

reporting they were certain to be smoking (20%) in 12 months time was higher than the

proportion (12%) of all current smokers aged 12 to 15 years in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 7.8%; 95% CI = 1.5% to 14.1%).

3.4 Indigenous Students’ Ability to Purchase Cigarettes

Students who were current smokers were asked to report how they accessed their last

cigarette (Table 3.5).

Table 3.5: Percentage of current smokers who bought their last cigarette among 12- to 15-year-olds, 2008 (%)#

Indigenous ASSAD

12-15

%

12-15

%

Bought cigarettes

Male 13.4 12.7

Female 4.7 10.7

Total 8.8 11.6

#Base: Students who smoked in past week.

Male Indigenous students (13%) were more likely than females (5%) to report buying their

last cigarette (p<.01).

Only 9% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who were current smokers bought

their last cigarette. While this is lower than the 12% of all current smokers aged 12 to 15

years in the main ASSAD sample, this difference was not statistically significant.


4. Alcohol use by Indigenous students,

participating in ASSAD 2008

4.1 Alcohol use by Indigenous students in 2008

In this section we examine the prevalence of alcohol consumption among Indigenous

students participating in ASSAD in 2008. Table 4.1 shows the proportion of 12- to 13-year-

old, and 14- to 15-year-old Indigenous students that had never consumed alcohol, had

consumed alcohol in the past year, month and in the past week.

Table 4.1: Alcohol: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

alcohol in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never consumed alcohol

Male 30.8 16.2 23.8 21.4

Female 39.9 20.0 30.6 21.8

Total 35.4 18.1 27.2 21.6

Consumed alcohol in past year

Male 44.7 72.6 58.2 53.2

Female 34.1 71.5 51.5 50.8

Total 39.4 72.1 54.9 52.0

Consumed alcohol in past

month

Male 24.1 51.2 37.1 28.9

Female 18.5 47.8 32.2 27.5

Total 21.3 49.5 34.7 28.2

Consumed alcohol in past week (current drinker)

Male 15.4 30.0 22.4 17.1

Female 11.4 35.4 22.6 16.1

Total 13.4 32.6 22.5 16.6

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 4.0% for consumed alcohol in the

past month to a low of ±2.8% for consumed alcohol in the past week

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.6% for consumed alcohol in the

past month to a low of ±2.8% for never consumed alcohol

†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years = range from a high of ± 2.7% for consumed alcohol in

the past year to a low of ±2.3% for consumed alcohol in the past week


group.

Younger Indigenous students (35%) were significantly more likely to have never consumed

alcohol than Indigenous 14- to 15-year-olds (18%) (p<.01). Among Indigenous students

males in both age groups were more likely than females to have consumed alcohol at some

time in their life (p<.01).

Students aged 14- to 15-years were more likely than 12- to 13-year-olds to have

consumed alcohol in the past year and past month (both p<.01).

A greater proportion of older students (33%) than younger students (13%) had consumed

alcohol in the week before the survey (defined as current drinkers) (p<.01).

Table 4.1 indicates that a greater proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years

(27%) reported never consuming alcohol, compared to the proportion of students aged 12

to 15 years in the main ASSAD sample (22%) (Difference 5.6%; 95% CI = 3.1% to 8.1%).


The proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who drank alcohol in the past

month (35%) was greater than the proportion (28%) of students aged 12 to 15 years in

the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 6.5%; 95% CI = 3.8% to 9.2%). Similarly a larger

proportion of Indigenous 12- to 15-year-olds reported drinking in the past week (23%)

than the proportion (17%) of 12- to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample (Difference =

5.9%; 95% CI = 3.6% to 8.2%).

4.2 Types of alcohol consumed by current drinkers (drank in

past 7 days)

Table 4.2 shows the main types of alcoholic beverages Indigenous students who were

current drinkers consumed.

Table 4.2: Drink types most commonly consumed by Indigenous students who were

current drinkers, Australia, 2008#.

Beverage type

Indigenous

12-15

%

ASSAD

12-15

%

Beer (ordinary)

Male 17.3 29.2

Female 2.6 6.5

Total 10.0 18.5

Wine

Male 3.2 7.0

Female 4.4 7.0

Total 3.8 7.0

Premixed spirits

Male 19.5 16.0

Female 39.1 46.9

Total 29.3 30.6

Spirits

Male 48.2 35.6

Female 39.7 25.7

Total 43.9 30.9

# Base: Students who consumed alcohol in past week. Percentages exclude responses from students who gave more than one type of drink, and percentages do not add to 100 as only the most frequent responses are

listed.

The most common drinks consumed by Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years were

spirits and premixed spirits, followed by beer, few Indigenous students reported consuming

wine.

The consumption of premixed spirits was significantly more common for female than male

Indigenous students (p<.01). Males were more likely than female current drinkers to have

consumed spirits and beer (both p<.01).

Around 30% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who were current drinkers

consumed premixed spirits. This proportion is very similar to that found in the main ASSAD

sample (31%). Drinking spirits was more common among Indigenous current drinkers

aged 12 to 15 years (44%) than it was among current drinkers aged 12 to 15 years in the

main ASSAD sample (31%) (Difference = 13%; 95%; CI = 7.3% to 18.7%). However

drinking beer was more common among 12 to 15 year old current drinkers in the main

ASSAD sample (19%) than current drinkers in the combined Indigenous sample (10%)

(Difference = 8.5%; 95%; CI = 4.9% to 12.1%).


4.3 Indigenous students’ access to Alcohol

Table 4.3 shows how Indigenous students who consumed alcohol in the previous week

accessed their alcohol.

Table 4.3: Most common sources of alcohol for current drinkers (drank alcohol in the past

week) Australia, 2008#

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Did not buy, supplied by:

Parents

Male 32.1 36.1

Female 27.3 34.3

Total 29.6 35.3

Siblings

Male 17.8 11.8

Female 7.6 8.2

Total 12.7 10.1

Other Relative

Male 2.4 2.0

Female 4.8 2.3

Total 3.7 2.1

Took from home

Male 8.8 8.3

Female 2.2 7.8

Total 5.5 8.1

Friends

Male 21.9 21.9

Female 29.4 24.6

Total 25.7 23.2

Someone else

bought

Male 14.0 13.4

Female 23.2 18.0

Total 18.6 15.6

# Base: Students who consumed alcohol in past week.

Similar to findings for 12- to 15-year-old current drinkers in the main ASSAD sample,

among 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students who were current drinkers the single most

common source of alcohol was a parent. However the proportion of 12- to 15-year-old

Indigenous students who were current drinkers accessing alcohol from parents was lower

(30%) than that found among 12- to 15-year-old current drinkers in the main ASSAD

sample (35%) (Difference = 5.7%; 95% CI = 0.4% to 11.0%).

Similar proportions of Indigenous current drinkers (19%) and current drinkers in the main

ASSAD sample (16%) accessed alcohol by someone else buying it.

Only 5% of all Indigenous students surveyed aged 12 to 15 years who were current

drinkers reported buying their own alcohol.


4.4 Where do Indigenous students drink alcohol?

The most commonly reported places for consuming alcohol among 12- to 15-year-old

Indigenous students who drank in the past week were at home (30%), at a party (29%)

and at a friend’s house (19%) (see Table 4.4). These proportions are similar to those from

the main ASSAD sample.

Table 4.4: Most usual places for drinking by Indigenous current drinkers (students who had

consumed alcohol in the previous week), Australia, 2008#

Indigenous 12-15 %

ASSAD 12-15 %

At home

Male 30.9 35.3

Female 29.3 32.4

Total 30.1 33.9

Party

Male 34.6 28.6

Female 24.3 28.5

Total 29.3 28.6

Friend’s house

Male 15.9 16.1

Female 22.7 20.0

Total 19.4 18.0

#Base: Students who consumed alcohol in past week.

4.5 Adult supervision of drinking

Students were asked if an adult was supervising them (and/or their friends) when they

consumed their last alcoholic drink.

Table 4.5: Percentage of Indigenous students who were current drinkers consuming their

last alcoholic drink reporting an adult was supervising them, Australia, 2008#

Indigenous

12-15

%

ASSAD

12-15

%

Adult supervising

when consumed last drink

Male 59.0 61.1

Female 61.9 59.0

Total 60.4 60.1

#Base: Students who consumed alcohol in past week.

The majority of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who were current drinkers

reported that an adult was supervising when they had consumed their last drink. This

proportion is similar to that found in the main ASSAD sample.


5. Use of over the counter and illicit

substances among Indigenous secondary

students participating in ASSAD 2008

5.1 Analgesics

Table 5.1 shows the use of analgesics by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.1: Analgesics: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender

using analgesics in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13#

%

14-15^

%

12-15†

%

12-15

%

Never used

Male 15.7 11.5 13.6 6.7

Female 7.8 7.8 7.8 3.5

Total 11.7 9.7 10.7 5.1

Ever used

Male 84.3 88.5 86.4 93.3

Female 92.2 92.2 92.2 96.5

Total 88.3 90.3 89.3 94.9

Used in past year

Male 80.9 84.1 82.4 88.8

Female 89.4 90.5 89.9 94.2

Total 85.2 87.2 86.2 91.5

Used in past month

Male 61.1 61.4 61.2 63.0

Female 69.0 75.4 72.0 74.2

Total 65.0 68.3 66.6 68.5

Used in past week

Male 39.0 43.0 40.8 34.6

Female 44.8 46.1 45.4 44.8

Total 41.9 44.5 43.2 39.6

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 4.0% for used analgesics in the

past week to a low of ±2.6% for never used analgesics

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.6% for used analgesics in the


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years = range from a high of ± 2.7% for used analgesics in the



group.

Around 43% of the Indigenous students participating in ASSAD reported using analgesics

in the past week. Around two-thirds of the Indigenous students had used analgesics in the

past month, and around 86% had used them in the past year.

Reported lifetime use of analgesics among 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students (89%)

was lower than reported analgesic use (95%) by students in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 5.6%; 95% CI = 3.9% to 7.3%).

Significantly fewer Indigenous students than students in the main ASSAD sample reported

using analgesics in the past year (Difference = 5.3%; 95% CI =3.4% to 7.2%). However a

greater proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years than students in the main


ASSAD sample reported using analgesics in the week before the survey (Difference =

3.6%; 95% CI = 0.8% to 6.4%).

Table 5.2: The main reasons for using the last analgesic among Indigenous students using analgesics in the past year, Australia 2008#

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13

%

14-15

%

12-15

%

12-15

%

Headache/ migraine

Male 59.8 57.6 58.7 55.8

Female 61.4 59.4 60.4 53.42

Total 61.4 58.8 60.1 54.6

Relief of Cold/’Flu symptoms

Male 21.7 23.6 22.6 28.2

Female 23.3 21.4 22.4 24.1

Total 19.7 18.4 19.1 26.1

Pains from Sport

Male 14.5 20.9 17.6 11.8

Female 5.6 8.9 7.2 7.3

Total 8.5 10.8 9.6 9.5

Toothache/

Dental work pain

Male 5.2 5.6 5.4 4.2

Female 5.4 3.9 2.7 6.2

Total 3.9 3.6 3.8 5.2

Menstrual Pain

Male N/A N/A N/A N/A

Female 4.2 7.3 5.7 8.1

Total N/A N/A N/A N/A

#Base: students using analgesics in past year

The main reasons Indigenous students reported using analgesics in the past year were

headache/migraine, and relief of cold/flu symptoms. There were no significant differences

between males and females or age groups in reason for analgesic use, in the combined

Indigenous sample.

Students who had used analgesics in the past year were asked to report how they accessed

the analgesics (Table 5.3).


Table 5.3: Most common sources of analgesic among Indigenous students using analgesics

in the past year, Australia 2008#

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13

%

14-15

%

12-15

%

12-15

%

Parents

Male 89.2 82.8 86.0 90.2

Female 90.5 78.5 84.8 88.9

Total 89.9 80.6 85.5 89.6

Took from home

Male 0.0 1.9 1.0 2.9

Female 0.4 6.1 3.1 3.7

Total 0.2 4.1 2.0 3.3

I bought it

Male 1.4 2.2 2.8 0.9

Female 1.3 3.4 2.3 2.0

Total 1.4 2.8 2.1 1.5

Staff at school

Male 1.2 2.4 1.8 1.6

Female 2.6 2.0 2.3 1.0

Total 1.9 2.2 2.1 1.3

#Base: students using analgesics in past year

Younger Indigenous students aged 12 to 13 years (90%) were more likely than older

students aged 14 to 15 years (81%) to report getting analgesics from their parents

(p<.01).

Sources of analgesics for 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students were similar to those

found in the main ASSAD sample, with parents the most common source of analgesics for

both groups.


5.2 Tranquillisers

Table 5.4 shows the use of analgesics by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.4: Tranquillisers: Percentage of Indigenous students in each gender and age group

using tranquillisers in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 81.2 75.6 78.4 84.6

Female 85.4 77.5 81.7 83.0

Total 83.4 76.5 80.1 83.8

Ever used

Male 18.8 24.4 21.6 15.4

Female 14.6 22.5 18.3 17.0

Total 16.6 23.5 19.9 16.2

Used in past year

Male 14.0 19.3 16.6 8.5

Female 10.7 17.5 13.9 9.8

Total 12.3 18.4 15.2 9.1

Used in past month

Male 7.8 13.4 10.5 4.0

Female 5.7 7.7 6.6 3.8

Total 6.7 10.6 8.6 3.9

Used in past week

Male 5.8 9.0 7.4 2.5

Female 3.5 6.0 4.7 2.1

Total 4.6 7.5 6.0 2.3

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 3.0% for never used tranquillisers

to a low of ±1.7% for used tranquillisers in the past week

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.1% for never used tranquillisers


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 2.2% for never used tranquillisers



group.

The majority of Indigenous students surveyed aged 12 to 15 years had never used

tranquillisers.

A greater proportion of Indigenous students than students from the main ASSAD sample

reported lifetime use of tranquillisers (Difference =3.7%; 95% CI = 1.5% to 5.9%). A

greater proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years than students this age in

the main ASSAD sample reported using tranquillisers in the past year (Difference = 6.1;

95% CI = 4.1% to 8.1%), month (Difference = 4.7%; 95% CI = 3.2 to 6.2%), and week

(Difference = 3.7%; 95% CI = 2.4% to 5.0%).


5.3 Cannabis

Table 5.5 shows the use of cannabis by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.5: Cannabis: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

cannabis in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 89.3 67.1 78.6 90.1

Female 90.2 73.7 82.4 91.1

Total 89.7 70.4 80.5 90.6

Ever used

Male 10.7 32.9 21.4 9.9

Female 9.8 26.3 17.6 8.9

Total 10.3 29.6 19.5 9.4

Used in past year

Male 8.0 26.5 16.9 8.0

Female 7.2 24.1 15.2 7.5

Total 7.6 25.3 16.0 7.8

Used in past month

Male 4.6 18.8 11.5 4.7

Female 4.3 14.8 9.3 3.9

Total 4.5 16.8 10.4 4.3

Used in past week

Male 3.5 15.7 9.4 3.2

Female 4.2 7.5 5.7 2.0

Total 3.8 11.7 7.6 2.6

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ±2.5% for never used cannabis to a

low of ±1.6% for used cannabis in the past week

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.3% for never used cannabis to a


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 2.1% for never used cannabis to a



group.

As was the case for all 12- to 15-year-old students in the main ASSAD sample, cannabis

was the most commonly used illicit substance among Indigenous students, with 20%

reporting to have used it in their lifetime. Cannabis use was greater among Indigenous 14-

to 15-year-olds than Indigenous 12- to 13-year-olds in all recency periods (all p<.01).

The proportion reporting ever having used cannabis (20%) among 12- to 15-year-old

Indigenous students was higher than the proportion for all 12- to 15-year-olds in the main

ASSAD sample (9%) (Difference 10.1%; 95% CI = 7.9% to 12.3%). A greater proportion

(16%) of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years than students of this age in the main

ASSAD sample (8%) reported using cannabis in the past year (Difference = 8.2%; 95% CI

= 6.2% to 10.2%), month (Difference = 6.1%; 95% CI = 4.4% to 7.8%), and week

(Difference = 5.0%; 95% CI = 3.5% to 6.5%).


5.3.1 Location of cannabis use

Students who had used cannabis in the past year were asked to indicate where they had

used cannabis.

Table 5.6: Most usual places for cannabis use by Indigenous students who had used

cannabis in the past year, Australia, 2008#

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

At home

Male 8.2 10.1

Female 14.4 12.5

Total 10.9 11.2

Party

Male 25.5 23.2

Female 17.4 22.7

Total 21.9 22.9

Friend’s house

Male 41.4 36.2

Female 45.0 38.4

Total 43.0 37.2

# Students who had used cannabis in the past year and provided information about location of use.

For Indigenous students, using cannabis at home or at a friend’s house was slightly more

common among females, with more males reporting using at a party. However these

differences did not reach significance.

Findings for the combined Indigenous sample did not differ from those for the main ASSAD

sample. Among Indigenous students the most frequently reported location for cannabis use

was a friend’s house (43%), followed by a party (22%) and then home (11%).

5.3.2 Method of cannabis use

Students who had used cannabis in the past year were asked to indicate how they used

cannabis (Table 5.7).


Table 5.7: Method of cannabis use by students who had used cannabis in the past year,

Australia, 2008#

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Smoke it as a joint

Male 25.0 38.2

Female 31.7 39.6

Total 28.1 38.8

Smoke bong/pipe

Male 66.1 58.3

Female 63.0 56.8

Total 64.6 57.6

Eat it

Male 8.9 2.6

Female 5.3 3.1

Total 7.3 2.8

# Students who had used cannabis in the past year and provided information about method of use.

Among Indigenous students who had used cannabis in the past year the most popular

method of use was a bong or pipe (65%). This was also the most common method of use

found among students in the main ASSAD sample (58%). The proportions of students

reporting smoking cannabis as a joint or in a bong or pipe did not differ significantly

between the combined Indigenous sample and the main ASSAD sample.

Indigenous students (7%) wore more likely to report eating cannabis than students in the

main ASSAD sample (3%) (Difference = 4.5%; 95% CI = 0.8% to 8.2%).

5.3.3 Use of other substances while using cannabis

Students who used cannabis in the past year were asked to indicate which other

substances they had used at the same time as they used cannabis.

Table 5.8: Percentage of Indigenous students who had used cannabis in the past 12

months indicating they had used other substances on the same occasion#, 2008

Substance used on same

occasion

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Alcohol 58.1 57.5

Tobacco 42.1 43.1

Hallucinogens 6.6 4.9

Amphetamines 3.6 5.8

Ecstasy 12.9 8.8

Analgesics 11.5 9.4

No other substance used 29.0 29.1

Other 0.9 1.4

# Students who had used cannabis in the past year.

For Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years, use of other substances while using cannabis

was similar to that found in the main ASSAD sample. Alcohol (58%) and tobacco (42%)

were the substances most frequently used with cannabis. Twenty-nine percent of students

did not use any other substance when using cannabis in the previous year.


5.4 Inhalants

Table 5.9 shows the use of inhalants by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.9: Inhalants: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender

using inhalants in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 73.5 78.0 75.7 80.5

Female 78.4 74.1 76.3 78.6

Total 76.0 76.1 76.0 79.6

Ever used

Male 26.5 21.9 24.3 19.5

Female 21.6 25.9 23.7 21.4

Total 24.0 23.9 24.0 20.4

Used in past year

Male 19.9 16.1 18.1 13.9

Female 15.8 19.6 17.6 16.0

Total 17.8 17.8 17.8 15.0

Used in past month

Male 13.9 12.3 13.2 8.6

Female 10.4 13.3 11.8 9.8

Total 12.2 12.8 12.5 9.2

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 3.5% for never used inhalants to

a low of ±2.7% for used inhalants in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.1% for never used inhalants to

a low of ±2.4% for used inhalants in the past month

†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 2.3% for never used inhalants to a

low of ±1.8% for used inhalants in the past month


group.

Twenty-four percent of Indigenous students reported having ever used inhalants in their

lifetime.

Where 18% of Indigenous students had used inhalants in the past year, 13% had used

inhalants in the past month.

There was little difference in reported use of inhalants between 12- to 13-year-old and 14-

to 15-year-old Indigenous students.

The proportion of Indigenous students (24%) reporting that they had ever used inhalants

was higher than the proportion found in the main ASSAD sample (20%) (Difference =

3.6%; 95% CI = 1.2% to 6.0%). A higher proportion (16%) of Indigenous students aged

12 to 15 years than students this age in the main ASSAD sample (8%) reported using

inhalants in the past year (Difference = 2.8%; 95% CI = 0.7% to 4.9%), and month

(Difference = 3.3%; 95% CI = 1.5% to 5.1%).


5.5 Hallucinogens

Table 5.10 shows the use of hallucinogens by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD

2008.

Table 5.10: Hallucinogens: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by

gender using hallucinogens in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 96.1 91.6 94.0 97.4

Female 98.8 92.9 96.0 98.1

Total 97.5 92.3 95.0 97.7

Ever used

Male 3.9 8.4 6.0 2.6

Female 1.2 7.1 4.0 1.9

Total 2.5 7.7 5.0 2.3

Used in past year

Male 2.0 7.1 6.4 2.0

Female 0.9 5.8 3.2 1.5

Total 1.4 6.4 3.8 1.7

Used in past month

Male 2.0 6.4 4.1 1.3

Female 0.5 3.1 1.7 0.7

Total 1.2 4.8 2.9 1.0

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.3% for never used hallucinogens

to a low of ±0.9% for used hallucinogens in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 1.9% for never used hallucinogens


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.2% for never used hallucinogens



group.

Lifetime use of hallucinogens among 12- to 15-year-old Indigenous students was rare.

Among Indigenous students for each recency period, reported use of hallucinogens was

higher among 14- to 15-year-old students than among 12- to 13-year-old students

(p<.01).

Reported lifetime use of hallucinogens by Indigenous students was higher than among 12-

to 15-year-olds in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 2.7%; 95% CI = 1.5% to 3.9%).

Similarly the proportion of Indigenous students reporting use of hallucinogens in the past

year (4%) was higher than the proportion (2%) found in the main ASSAD sample

(Difference = 2.1%: 95% CI = 1.0% to 3.2%). Also, recent use of hallucinogens by

Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years (3% in past month) was more common than for

students aged 12 to 15 years in the main ASSAD sample (1% in past month) (Difference =

1.9%; 95% CI = 1.0% to 2.8%).


5.5.1 Use of other substances while using hallucinogens

Students who used hallucinogens in the past year were asked to indicate which other

substances they had used at the same time as they used hallucinogens.

Table 5.11:Percentage of Indigenous students who had used hallucinogens in the past 12 months indicating they had used other substances on the same occasion, 2008#


occasion

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Alcohol 61.4 46.6

Tobacco 48.9 28.7

Cannabis 36.4 26.1


Ecstasy 40.0 17.0

Analgesics 21.3 6.3


Other 3.8 0

# Students who used hallucinogens in the past year

Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and ecstasy were reported as the substances most commonly

used at the same time as hallucinogens by 12- to 15 –year-old students who had used

hallucinogens in the past year. The proportion indicating use of tobacco was significantly

greater among the combined Indigenous sample (49%) than in the main ASSAD sample

(29%) (Difference = 20.2%; 95% CI 5.0% to 35.4%). The proportion of Indigenous

students who used ecstasy at the same time as hallucinogens (40%) was higher than that

in the main ASSAD sample (17%) (Difference = 23%; 95% CI 8.4% to 37.6%).


5.6 Amphetamines

Table 5.12 shows the use of amphetamines by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD

2008.

Table 5.12: Amphetamines: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by

gender using amphetamines in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 94.7 87.6 91.3 97.2

Female 95.3 89.8 92.7 97.4

Total 95.0 88.3 92.0 97.3

Ever used

Male 5.3 12.4 8.7 2.8

Female 4.7 10.2 7.3 2.6

Total 5.0 11.7 8.0 2.7

Used in past year

Male 4.6 11.7 8.0 2.1

Female 4.1 8.7 6.3 2.2

Total 4.3 10.2 7.1 2.2

Used in past month

Male 3.7 9.0 6.2 1.3

Female 1.9 4.6 3.2 1.1

Total 2.8 6.8 4.7 1.2

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.8% for never used

amphetamines to a low of ±1.3% for used amphetamines in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 2.3% for never used


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.5% for never used



group.

For Indigenous students, in all recency periods, amphetamine use was more common

among the group aged 14 to 15 years than the younger student group (p<.01).

Use of amphetamines among Indigenous students was not common (8% had ever used)

although this proportion was higher than among the 12- to 15-year-olds in the main

ASSAD sample (3%) (Difference = 5.3%; 95% CI = 3.8% to 6.8%). Similarly the

proportion of Indigenous students reporting use of amphetamines in the past year (7%)

was higher than the proportion (2%) from the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 4.9%:

95% CI = 3.5% to 6.3%). Also, recent use of amphetamines by Indigenous students aged

12 to 15 years (5% in past month) was more common than for students aged 12 to 15

years (1% in past month) in the main ASSAD sample (Difference = 3.5%: 95% CI = 2.3%

to 4.7%).


5.6.1 Use of other substances while using amphetamines

Students who used amphetamines in the past year were asked to indicate which other

substances they had used at the same time as they used amphetamines.

Table 5.13: Percentage of Indigenous students who had used amphetamines in the past 12

months indicating they had used other substances on the same occasion, 2008#


occasion

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Alcohol 52.0 48.3

Tobacco 34.9 34.0

Cannabis 40.3 32.1


Ecstasy 25.8 15.2

Analgesics 19.1 7.3


Other 0.7 1.3

# Students who had used amphetamines in the past year.

Alcohol (52%), cannabis (40%), and tobacco (35%) were the substances most commonly

used at the same time as amphetamines among Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years.

These levels were not significantly different from those found in the main ASSAD sample.


5.7 Steroids

Table 5.14 shows the use of amphetamines by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD

2008.

Table 5.14: Steroids: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender

reporting use of steroids without a doctor’s prescription in an attempt to improve sporting

ability, increase muscle size or improve appearance, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 92.8 88.1 90.5 96.9

Female 96.0 94.9 95.5 98.2

Total 94.4 91.5 93.0 97.5

Ever used

Male 7.2 11.9 9.5 3.1

Female 4.4 5.1 4.5 1.8

Total 5.6 8.5 7.0 2.5

Used in past year

Male 3.5 9.6 6.4 2.2

Female 3.1 4.1 3.6 1.2

Total 3.3 6.9 5.0 1.7

Used in past month

Male 3.5 8.5 5.9 1.6

Female 1.4 1.7 1.6 0.6

Total 2.4 5.1 3.7 1.1

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.9% for never used steroids to a

low of ±1.3% for used steroids in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 2.0% for never used steroids to a low of ±1.6% for used steroids in the past month

†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.4% for never used steroids to a

low of ±1.0% for used steroids in the past month


group.

The use of steroids without prescription among Indigenous students was low.

Across all Indigenous 12- to 15-year-olds, more males than females reported using non-

prescription steroids in all recency periods and this difference was significant for monthly

use (p<.01).

Ever use of steroids was more common among 12- to 15-year-olds in the combined

Indigenous sample (7%) than among 12- to 15-year-old students in the main ASSAD

sample (3%) (Difference = 4.5%; 95% CI = 3.1% to 5.9%). Similarly more Indigenous

students reported use of steroids in the past year (5%) than in the main ASSAD sample

(2%) (Difference = 3.3%; 95% CI = 2.1% to 4.5%). Also a higher proportion of

Indigenous students (4%) reported steroid use in the past month than in the main ASSAD

sample (1%) (Difference = 2.6%; 95% CI = 1.6% to 3.6%).


5.8 Opiates

Table 5.15 shows the use of opiates by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.15: Opiates: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

opiates in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 96.3 92.3 94.4 97.9

Female 98.1 92.2 95.3 98.1

Total 97.2 92.3 94.9 98.0

Ever used

Male 3.7 7.7 5.6 2.1

Female 1.9 7.8 4.7 1.9

Total 2.8 7.7 5.1 2.0

Used in past year

Male 2.4 5.8 4.0 1.4

Female 1.4 6.0 3.6 1.3

Total 1.9 5.9 3.8 1.4

Used in past month

Male 1.6 5.1 3.3 1.0

Female 1.0 4.1 2.5 0.6

Total 1.3 4.6 2.9 0.8

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.3% for never used opiates to a

low of ±0.9% for used opiates in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 1.9% for never used opiates to a


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.2% for never used opiates to a



group.

The use of opiates among Indigenous students was rare.

In each recency period reported opiate use was more common among 14- and 15-year-old

Indigenous students than younger students. .

The proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years who reported ever having used

opiates (5%) was higher than the proportion found among 12- to 15-year-old students in

the main ASSAD sample (2%) (Difference = 3.1%; 95% CI = 1.9% to 4.3%). Similarly

more Indigenous students reported use of opiates in the past year (4%) than in the main

ASSAD sample (1%) (Difference = 2.4%; 95% CI = 1.4% to 3.4%). Also a higher

proportion of Indigenous students reported opiate use in the past month (3%) than

students in the main ASSAD sample (1%) (Difference = 2.1%; 95% CI = 1.2% to 3.0%).


5.9 Cocaine

Table 5.16 shows the use of cocaine by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.16: Cocaine: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

cocaine for each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 96.6 90.6 93.7 97.9

Female 98.3 92.4 95.5 98.3

Total 97.5 91.5 94.6 98.1

Ever used

Male 3.4 9.4 6.3 2.1

Female 1.7 7.6 4.5 1.7

Total 2.5 8.5 5.4 1.9

Used in past year

Male 1.4 7.5 4.4 1.7

Female 1.7 6.4 4.0 1.3

Total 1.6 6.9 4.2 1.5

Used in past month

Male 1.4 6.8 4.4 1.2

Female 1.0 4.3 2.5 0.7

Total 1.2 5.5 3.3 1.0

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.3% for never used cocaine to a

low of ±0.9% for used cocaine in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 2.0% for never used cocaine to a


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.2% for never used cocaine to a



group.

Among Indigenous students, use of cocaine was more common in the older group for each

time period (p<.01).

The small proportion (5%) of the combined Indigenous sample that reported ever using

cocaine was higher than the proportion in the main ASSAD sample (2%) (Difference =

3.5%; 95% CI = 2.3% to 4.7%). Also a higher proportion of Indigenous students reported

use of opiates in the past year (4%) than in the main ASSAD sample (2%) (Difference =

2.7%; 95% CI = 1.6% to 3.8%). The proportion of Indigenous students who reported

cocaine use in the past month (3%) was higher than the proportion of students from the

main ASSAD sample (1%) (Difference = 2.3%; 95% CI = 1.3% to 3.3%).


5.10 Ecstasy

Table 5.17 shows the use of ecstasy by Indigenous students participating in ASSAD 2008.

Table 5.17: Ecstasy: Percentage of Indigenous students in each age group by gender using

ecstasy in each recency category, Australia 2008

Indigenous ASSAD

12-13# %

14-15^ %

12-15† %

12-15 %

Never used

Male 97.4 89.6 93.7 97.3

Female 97.6 90.2 94.1 97.6

Total 97.5# 89.9^ 93.9† 97.4

Ever used

Male 2.6 10.4 6.3 2.7

Female 2.4 9.8 5.9 2.4

Total 2.5 10.1 6.1 2.6

Used in past year

Male 2.5 9.7 6.0 2.4

Female 2.4 8.4 5.2 2.0

Total 2.4 9.1 5.6 2.2

Used in past month

Male 1.5 8.3 4.8 1.5

Female 0.8 4.1 2.4 0.9

Total 1.1 6.8 3.6 1.2

#95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 1.3% for never used ecstasy to a

low of ±0.9% for used ecstasy in the past month

^95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 2.2% for never used ecstasy to a


†95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 1.3% for never used ecstasy to a



group.

Reported use of ecstasy was more common among older Indigenous students than younger

Indigenous students for each time period (all p<.01). While more males than females

reported using ecstasy in each recency period, these differences were not significant.

Lifetime ecstasy use (6%) was more common among the 12- to 15- year old Indigenous

students, than among the main 12- to 15- year old ASSAD sample (3%) (Difference =

3.5%; 95% CI = 2.2% to 4.8%). The proportion of the combined Indigenous sample using

ecstasy in the past year (6%) was higher than the proportion in the main ASSAD sample

(2%) (Difference = 3.4%; 95% CI = 2.1% to 4.7%). Also the proportion of Indigenous

students who reported ecstasy use in the past month (4%) was higher than the proportion

in the main ASSAD sample (1%) (Difference = 2.4%; 95% CI = 1.4% to 3.4%).


5.10.1 Use of other substances while using ecstasy

Students who used ecstasy in the past year were asked to indicate which other substances

they had used at the same time as they used ecstasy.

Table 5.18: Percentage of Indigenous students who had used ecstasy in the past 12 months indicating they had used other substances on the same occasion, 2008#

Substance used on same occasion

Indigenous 12-15

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Alcohol 54.6 61.2

Tobacco 35.8 41.7

Cannabis 54.3 39.2



Analgesics 10.2 9.7


Other 2.6 0.8

# Students who used ecstasy in the past year

Alcohol (55%), cannabis (54%), and tobacco (36%) were reported as the substances most

commonly used at the same time as ecstasy among Indigenous students who had used

ecstasy in the past year. While this pattern was similar to that found in the main ASSAD

sample, a greater proportion of Indigenous students using ecstasy reported using cannabis

(54%) on the same occasion than in the main ASSAD sample (39%) (Difference = 15.1%;

95% CI = 1.0% to 29.2%).


5.11 Use of Any Illicit Substance

The proportion of students who had used cannabis, hallucinogens, amphetamines, cocaine,

opiates or ecstasy in their lifetime, past year and past month is shown in Table 5.19.

Table 5.19:Percentage of Indigenous students who had used any illicit substance, or any

illicit substance excluding cannabis, in their lifetime, in the past year or in the past month

2008, Australia

Substance

Recency

period

Gender

12-13#

%

Indigenous

14-15^

%

12-15†

%

ASSAD 12-15

%

Life Male 14.2 34.3 23.8 11.9

Female 13.3 30.5 21.3 10.6

Total 13.7 32.5 22.6 11.2

Any illicit substance Year Male 10.3 28.4 19.0 9.3

Female 10.3 26.5 17.9 8.7

Total 10.6 27.7 19.1 9.0

Month Male 7.1 20.1 13.9 5.7

Female 6.5 16.2 11.1 4.7

Total 6.8 18.2 12.5 5.2

Life Male 7.5 14.6 11.2 5.8

Female 5.9 15.6 10.5 5.0

Total 6.7 15.1 10.8 5.4

Year Male 5.3 13.1 9.4 4.3

Female 5.0 12.4 8.5 4.0

Total 5.1 12.8 8.9 4.1

Month Male 4.7 10.6 7.8 2.8

Any illicit

substance

excluding

cannabis

Female 3.0 6.2 4.5 2.0

Total 3.8 8.5 6.1 2.4

# 95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-13 years range from a high of ± 2.8% for used any substance

including cannabis (± 2.0% excluding cannabis) in lifetime to a low of ± 2.1% used any substance including

cannabis (± 1.6% excluding cannabis) in the past month

^ 95% CI for Indigenous students aged 14-15 years range from a high of ± 3.4% for used any substance

including cannabis (± 2.6% excluding cannabis) in lifetime to a low of ± 2.8% used any substance including cannabis (± 2.0% excluding cannabis) in the past month

† 95% CI for Indigenous students aged 12-15 years range from a high of ± 2.3% for used any substance including cannabis (± 1.7% excluding cannabis) in lifetime to a low of ± 1.8% used any substance including

cannabis (± 1.3% excluding cannabis) in the past month


group.

Among the Indigenous students, older students were more likely to have used any illicit

substance than younger students.

Around 23% of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years had used an illicit substance in

their lifetime, this was higher than the 11% from the main ASSAD sample (Difference =

11.4%; 95% CI = 9.1% to 13.7%). Nineteen percent of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15

reported use of an illicit substance in the past year, again higher than the proportion from

the main ASSAD sample (9%) (Difference = 10.1%; 95% CI = 7.9% to 12.3%). Also 13%

of the combined Indigenous sample had used an illicit substance in the past month, this

was higher than the proportion from the main ASSAD sample (5%) (Difference = 7.3%;

95% CI = 5.5 to 9.1%).


As cannabis use was more common than use of other illicit substances, analyses were

repeated using an index of illicit substance use that excluded cannabis. The proportion of

Indigenous students who had used any illicit drug other than cannabis in their lifetime, past

year or past month are also shown in Table 5.19.

The proportions of students using any illicit drug other than cannabis were lower than when

the index of drug use included cannabis.

The proportion of Indigenous students aged 12 to 15 years that had used an illicit

substance excluding cannabis in their lifetime (11%), was higher than the proportion from

the main ASSAD sample (5%) (Difference = 5.4%; 95% CI = 3.7% to 7.1%) for the

previous year, 9% percent of Indigenous students reported use of an illicit substance

excluding cannabis, which was higher than the proportion from the main ASSAD sample

(4%) (Difference = 4.8%; 95% CI = 3.2% to 6.4%). Also 6% of the combined Indigenous

sample had used an illicit substance other than cannabis in the past month, and this was

higher than the proportion from the main ASSAD sample (2%) (Difference = 3.7%; 95%

CI = 2.4% to 5.0%).


References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001) Information Paper: Outcomes of ABS, Views on

Remoteness Classification, Australia 2001 (cat. no. 1244.0.00.001). Canberra, Australian Bureau

of Statistics, 2001.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2003) Information Paper: Census of Population and Housing:

Socio–Economic Indexes for Areas, Australia 2001. Catalogue No. 2039.0. Canberra, Australian

Bureau of Statistics, 2003.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009). Schools, Australia, Data Cubes, 2008 (Catalogue No.

4221.0) viewed 01 July 2009,

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/4221.02008?OpenDocument

White V, Smith G, ‘Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the-

counter and illicit substances in 2008’, report submitted to Australian Government Department of

Health and Ageing, June 2009.


Appendix 1: Questionnaire


Appendix 2: Data matters

The procedures for processing and cleaning data for the main ASSAD study and the ASSAD

Extension study were the same and are detailed below.

Coding and editing of data

Following procedures established for the earlier ASSAD surveys, cleaning of data relating to

all substance use questions involved checking for inconsistencies in reported use of

substances across time periods (lifetime, year, month and week). This cleaning procedure

ensured maximum use of the data and operated on the principle that the subject's

response about personal use in the most recent time period was accurate. Cleaning

involved checking that the response for the most recent time period was consistent with

the response for subsequent time periods. If responses for other time periods were missing

or inconsistent with the most recent response, responses were coded to indicate use in that

time period for example, if students indicated they had used a substance in the past week

and in the past month but indicated that they had not used it in the past year or, if the

response to this question was missing, the response for the past year was recoded to

indicate that the substance had been used within this time period. This change was

considered appropriate as using a substance in the past week and month necessitates that

it was used in the past year. However, if respondents indicated that they did not use a

substance in the past week and the response for this in the past month was missing or yes,

these responses were not changed, as it is possible for someone who did not use a

substance in the past week to have used it in the past month. The missing response was

retained, as it could not be determined if the student had used the substance or not. If

students indicated that they had used it in the past week, month or year, but indicated

later that they had not in their lifetime, the response to this latter question was changed to

‘invalid’. Regardless of the students’ reported substance use, no change was made to their

response indicating how they see their own substance use behaviour, as this question was

aimed to assess self-perception only. As in previous survey years, the impact of these sorts

of recodes on the data set was minimal, with around 2-3% of data recoded.

Data Analyses Details

Because this study used a two-stage sampling procedure, the sample was less efficient

than a simple random sample of the same size. As students within the sample were

clustered by school, standard errors for prevalence estimates may have been

underestimated. Procedures within the statistical package STATA accommodate complex

sample designs within analytic procedures by adjusting for the clustering of observations.


Appendix 3: 95% Confidence intervals

95% Confidence intervals associated with different estimates for gender and age group

sample sizes achieved for Indigenous students participating in the 2008 ASSAD study.

Table 3A.1: 95% Confidence intervals for sample sizes achieved in

Indigenous students in ASSAD 2008 for males, females and people in each age group for proportions: 90%/10%; 80%/20%; 70%/30%; 60%/40%; 50%/50%.

Males

Age N 90% / 10% 80% / 20% 70% / 30% 60% / 40% 50% / 50%

12-13 269 ±3.6 ±4.8 ±5.5 ±5.9 ±6.0

14-15 375 ±3.0 ±4.0 ±4.6 ±5.0 ±5.1

12-15 644 ±2.3 ±3.1 ±3.5 ±3.8 ±3.9

Females

Age N 90% / 10% 80% / 20% 70% / 30% 60% / 40% 50% / 50%

12-13 310 ±3.36 ±4.5 ±5.1 ±5.5 ±5.6

14-15 363 ±3.1 ±4.1 ±4.7 ±5.0 ±5.1

12-15 673 ±2.3 ±3.0 ±3.5 ±3.7 ±3.8

People

Age N 90% / 10% 80% / 20% 70% / 30% 60% / 40% 50% / 50%

12-13 579 ±2.4 ±3.3 ±3.7 ±4.0 ±4.1

14-15 738 ±2.2 ±2.9 ±3.3 ±3.5 ±3.6

12-15 1317 ±1.6 ±2.2 ±2.5 ±2.6 ±2.7

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