Australians Vs Britons: Study Finds Which Group Is More Prone To Drug Problems

A recent study by researchers from University of Adelaide in Australia shows how Australians are more prone to using illicit drugs. The study, titled The Global Statistics on Addictive Behaviours: 2014 Status Report, was published on May 12 in the journal Addiction and is the first global study on different vices presented in one compilation.

According to findings, Australians heavily consume alcohol just like the British but are more likely to take drugs like cannabis, amphetamines and ecstasy. Specifically, 84 percent of Australians and 83.9 percent of Britons consume alcohol heavily, but the study finds that people in the U.K. are more prone to alcohol disorders, Newsmaker Australia reports.

Meanwhile, in a period of 12 months, 10.3 percent of Australians used cannabis compared to British individuals who had a rate of five to seven percent of cannabis use. At least three percent of Australians use ecstasy, while only 1.7 percent of Briton used it. When it comes to amphetamine use, about 2.1 Australians use it and only at least 1.1 percent for British individuals.

Overall, the data shows that Australians are doing well when it comes to rate of alcohol and tobacco use, despite facing drug use problems. However, the study’s main findings show that alcohol and tobacco remain “the most common addictions around the world,” as study’s lead author Linda Gowing said.

“We’re doing quite well in terms of the population who smoke tobacco. Data on that was not available from the US and we are slightly lower than the UK and the global average,” said Gowing, also an associate professor at University of Adelaide’s School of Medical Sciences, in a report from SBS.

Researchers hope that the findings of the study will encourage legislators to exert more effort in fighting global addictions. Gowing said that while it is encouraging to know that Australians use less tobacco and alcohol compared to other developed countries, it is still important to reduce the impact these vices have on the Australian community.

To report problems or leave feedback on this article, email: wendylemeric@gmail.com.