Prevalence of Non-Medical Tranquilizer Use Among Young People in Australia

"Around 18% of all students reported use of tranquilisers other than for medical reasons at least once in their lifetime. The proportion of students ever using tranquilisers increased with age from 14% of 12-year-olds to 21% of 16-year-olds and 20% of 17-year-olds (p<0.01).
"Use in the past month was low across all ages with around five per cent of students reporting to have used tranquilisers in this time period.
"Around three per cent of 12- to 17-year-old students used tranquilisers other than for medical reasons in the week before the survey.
"There were few differences in male and female students’ use of tranquilisers. However, among 14-year-olds, lifetime use, use in the past 12 months and use in the past month was higher for female compared to male students (p<0.01). Among 15-year-olds significantly more females than males had used tranquilisers in their lifetime and in the past year (p<0.01).
"Regularity of use: Of the 12% of students who had used tranquilisers in the past year, around 49% of males and 47% of females had used them only once or twice, while 19% of males and 22% of females had used them 3-5 times."