Young smoking less, more overweight

Rachel Browne
March 15, 2013

A new portrait of young Australians shows they are better educated and smoking less but are increasingly overweight, using illicit drugs and drinking at risky levels.

Public health pioneer Fiona Stanley described the report, The Wellbeing of Young Australians, as a ”wake-up call” to the nation.

The report, to be released by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth in Canberra on Friday, examined the concerns of young people, comparing how Australia ranks against other developed countries.

Young Australians rank in the top third of OECD countries in tertiary qualifications, low smoking rates and community participation. But they are only in the middle band when it comes to teen pregnancy, dental decay, overweight and obesity, youth suicide and cannabis use.

Australia is in the bottom third of countries for child abuse deaths, infant mortality, preschool participation and income equality.

Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth chief executive Lance Emerson said the report looked at five areas of wellbeing based on the views of 3700 young people and families.

”It’s a mixed picture,” he said. ”To say that wellbeing is poor or really positive is too simplistic.”

He said the health of young Australians was a concern, with 30 per cent of five to 24-year-olds overweight or obese.

Seven per cent of 14-19 year-olds smoke daily but 18 per cent use illicit drugs and 15 per cent drink at risky levels, marking an increase since 2007.
Eamon Waterford, director of policy and advocacy at Youth Action, said young people had reaped the benefits of stricter tobacco laws.

”Smoking is more culturally unacceptable for young people in Australia than in many other countries,” he said. ”That’s due, in part, to much stricter regulations around advertising and availability of cigarettes.”

Teenage birth rates are down, with only 4 per cent of teenagers giving birth in 2010, down from 5 per cent in 2001.

While youth suicide rates have halved in the past decade, 12 per cent of young people reported high levels of psychological distress, a figure unchanged since 2007.

Australia is ranked among the lowest in OECD countries for preschool participation and year 4 students are also below average in reading, writing and numeracy.

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