Ten percent of survey respondents indicated that, as far as they know, someone in their household had regularly used
substances/drugs in the previous 12 months. This result for the 2014 survey has continued the downward trend in the percentage
of respondents who report having a household member using drugs (15% in 2010 and 24% in 2006).
Table 31: Households with Drug Abuse Problems
Proportion of Households with
Drug Abuse Problems
Drug Type
No.
2014
2010
2006
Alcohol
17
65.4%
55.0%
47.0%
Cannabis (Marijuana)
14
53.9%
55.2%
56.1%
Meth-amphetamines (Ice, Speed)
9
34.6%
NA
NA
Ecstasy, LSD, other recreational drugs
4
15.3%
7.5%
4.5%
Heroin
4
15.3%
32.5%
37.9%
3
11.5%
17.5%
40.9%
Inhalants (glue, petrol etc.)
2
7.6%
NA
NA
Cocaine
2
7.6%
NA
NA
Other*
1
3.8%
22.5%
12.1%
Legally prescribed medication (e.g. sleeping tablets, valium) used in
frequency or ways other than intends
*Other includes: Cigarette
The most commonly used drug indicated by survey respondents in 2014 was alcohol, which is consistent with other national
surveys on drug abuse (e.g. the National Drug Strategy Household Survey). The 2014 survey revealed the prevalence of alcohol
consumption continued to rise, from 47% in 2006, to 55% in 2010 and 65.4% in 2014. Cannabis was the next most commonly used
substance with half of the respondents indicating a household member had regularly used in the past year. This is largely
consistent with past survey trends.
In 2014, methamphetamines and cocaine were listed as separate drug response categories revealing very different prevalence
rates: almost 35% (n=9) reported a household member was using methamphetamines compared to 7.6% (n=2) for cocaine.
Reported use of heroin by household members appears to have declined significantly from 37.9% of respondents in 2006 down to
15.3% in 2014 (n=4). Similarly, use of legally prescribed medication appears to have declined based on the results from the 2014
survey.
42