Up to 90% of Australians 14 years or over have tried alcohol and about 50% females and 70% of males use it regularly. About 70% of Australians have tried tobacco, 40% cannabis and 2% amphetamine.

In Australia it is 18, in New Zealand its 20 and in America it is 21

Alcohol was responsible for 62% drug related deaths in this age group, followed by tobacco

Alcohol is a depressant and slows the brain and reactions down.

Drinking too much alcohol can result in Alcohol overdose, fighting and vomiting.

Binge drinking to a greater risk of harm.

As a proportion of each population less Aboriginal people drink than non-Aboriginal people in Australia. A recent survey indicate that indigenous Aboriginal adults (42%) were less likely than non-indigenous Aboriginals adults (62%) to have consumed alcohol in the week before the interview.

Alcohol is a diuretic and causes dehydration. Drinking too much alcohol and being dehydrated can make you feel very ill. The lining of your stomach can also be damaged causing nausea.

Only a small proportion of the adult population drinks at hazardous levels. Most people who drink do so safely and responsibly.

Female’s usually higher blood alcohol levels after drinking the same amount as men. This is because most females have smaller body size and more body fat than males. Alcohol is water-soluble and as females have more body fat and less water to the absorb alcohol, the same amount of alcohol causes higher blood concentration.

On average, women’s bodies have less water and more fatty tissue than men’s. The more water in a person’s body, the more alcohol can be diluted and alcohol is not absorbed into fatty tissue.

Researchers have also found that men make 30% more use than women of a protective enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the stomach before it enters the blood.

Women tend to drink more carbonated drinks such as sparkling wines and spirits with mixers. The bubbles in the drinks increase the rate of alcohol absorption by the body.

Women also tend to drink cocktails consisting of several spirits or liqueurs. Such drinks are higher in alcohol than the beer drunk by many men,