For children and young people under the age of 18, there is no clear or safe level of alcohol consumption. This is why it is recommended children under 18 years do not consume alcohol. 

The Australian guidelines to reduce health-related risk from drinking alcohol for those over 18 suggest:  

1. Lifetime risks: any person consuming alcohol should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and 
2. Single occasion risk: any person consuming alcohol should drink no more than 4 standard drinks on any one-day 

Young people aged 16-24 are twice as likely to consume alcohol at very high levels on a single occasion (binge drinking) compared to all other population groups. For every drink an adolescent or young person doesn’t consume, they will lower their risk of health-related harm from alcohol. 

Drinking alcohol is strongly linked as a known cause of cancer. Drinking alcohol increases a person’s risk of being diagnosed with the following seven types of cancer: 

• breast cancer 
• liver cancer 
• mouth cancer 
• throat cancer 
• oesophagus cancer 
• bowel cancer and 
• stomach cancer. 

Understanding the potential risks and health impacts of substance use for teenagers will help equip you and your child to make informed decisions during their adolescent years. 

Your child is likely to encounter drugs and alcohol during their adolescent years, despite any efforts to prevent it. As a parent, it’s best to focus on how you can have constructive, open discussions. This may help delay use in younger years, and prevent potential harm or misuse. 

Recent data shows that cannabis and alcohol are the most widely used substances in the teenage cohort. E-cigarette use (vaping) is also concerningly on the rise in this same age group. 

See Vaping and smoking for more information. 

Other drugs that may be used by young people or have been emerging topics include cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, inhalants, hallucinogens, ketamine, GHB, amyl nitrite, anabolic steroids and other pharmaceuticals for no prescription purposes. 

• See the Recognising signs and Resources for parents and children if you suspect your child is taking drugs. 
• See the Alcohol and Drug Foundation Drug Wheel or Your Room’s A-Z of Drugs to find out more information on specific drugs. 

Alcohol and drug laws in Australia are differentiated based on what is considered a legal substance and what is an illegal substance. 

• Legal substances in Australia include alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and over-the-counter prescription medication. Note- this doesn’t mean their use is completely safe. 
• illegal substances in Australia include, but are not limited to amphetamines, cannabis (marijuana), ecstasy (MDMA) and heroin. 

Of the legal substances in Australia, they will all have some form of restriction or regulation as to where, when and who is legally allowed to use them. These restrictions include: 

Failing to comply with these laws could result in a caution, a fine, education sessions, a youth justice conference with parents and police, and a criminal penalty or jail time. 

See Vaping and smoking for more information about the laws of vaping and tobacco products.

The concern with drinking alcohol during adolescence years is that young people are more susceptible to damage from use due to developing brains and bodies. It can contribute to harming the individual as well as the people around them, both directly and indirectly. 

Alcohol use in adolescents and young people can have the following effects on their health and wellbeing: 

The effects of alcohol on any individual will depend on a range of factors, including the amount consumed, how quickly it was consumed, how well hydrated the person is, food consumed during drinking sessions, a person’s weight, age, gender, ethnicity, physical condition and family history.

Similar to alcohol, there are a range of concerning health effects from a young person partaking in substance use or abuse.  None more so than the effects on their developing brain.  

As young brains develop, they become more efficient in obtaining and transferring information to different parts of the brain (through synapses). There is a natural ‘pruning’ of unnecessary synapses as children age and when substances are used at this crucial development stage, it can affect both short and long-term brain development. 

Alcohol and other drug use can also increase an adolescent’s chance of secondary risk factors. This can include subtle ripple effects like delayed career opportunities or more severe consequences such as being a victim or offender of sexual assault, violence, drink spiking, drink driving accidents, antisocial behaviour or mental health concerns.  

80% of child abuse cases involve alcohol and other drug use.

• Drink spiking: occurs when a substance such as alcohol or other drug is added to a drink without the knowledge of the person consuming it. For more information, please see drink spiking in Emerging topics. 
• Violence and physical assault: There is a strong correlation between violent episodes and alcohol or drug use. These can include sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse 
• Drink or drug driving and motor vehicle accidents: Approximately 18% of young adults report having driven under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months. The health effects of these substances while driving can range from traffic accidents involving other motor vehicles or pedestrians or significant injury or fatalities.  
• Antisocial behaviour: including crimes in the community such as vandalism, graffiti, shoplifting or assault of strangers 
• Academic difficulties: including a reduction in engagement, school attendance and potential dropout, especially at heavier intake of alcohol and drug use. 
• Delayed or deferred career opportunities: including likelihood of full-time employment, length of employment and unemployment  
• Damaged relationships with friends and family 
• Mental health concerns: drugs and alcohol have a dual direction relationship with mental health concerns. At least 55% of people experiencing an alcohol or other drug use disorder have a co-occurring mental health condition. Some often use substances to help deal with mental illness and there often exists an increased risk of self-harm or suicide. 
• Economic or financial loss: this includes both individual financial loss and societal costs such as workplace absenteeism, crime, healthcare and motor vehicle accident callouts.