By Steff WillisThursday 16 Nov 2023NewsReading Time: 2 minutes
As School Leavers around the country are packing their bags for the week of a lifetime, caregivers can be rest assured that their teens will, most likely, be making more responsible decisions.
New research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals that alcohol consumption among young Australians has been trending downwards.
The following data capturing Australian teen and young adult perceptions, between 2022 to 2023, shows positive results regarding youth alcohol consumption. Key findings show that:
- Approximately 30% of teenagers (14 – 17 years) report drinking alcohol;
- About 60% of young adults (18 – 24 years) report drinking alcohol; and,
- There is a 15% decrease in 14 – 24 year olds participating in binge drinking.
Overall, these figures are a positive sign with notable decreases compared to previous years.
Red Frogs Australia CEO, Andy Gourley, attests to these figures stating that there has been a noticeable behaviour shift across all Schoolies locations since commencing the Red Frogs Schoolies response in 1997.
“We have seen a noticeable shift in Schoolies behaviour while on the ground over the past 26 years. Young people are choosing to drink less and there is a stronger culture of looking out for your mates.”
“There are still some hectic situations that can occur but there are many services that go above and beyond to support School Leavers. Red Frogs Australia has 1296 volunteers at 13 Schoolies locations around the country providing direct support to teens – whether that be helping to cook dinner or being a shoulder to cry on.”
Andy Gourley (left) is the Founder and CEO of Red Frogs Australia (supplied).
Andy Gourley also spoke with 96five’s Ken and Nicky about the long running history of Red Frogs and encouraged those who wanted to get involved to consider ‘funding a frog’.
“There are a lot of volunteers who are uni students, doing it tough… we’ve got a program called Fund a Frog where they can sponsor a worker to go down” Andy said.
Red Frogs Australia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing a positive and safe environment for young people during Schoolies celebrations and other high-risk events. With a passionate team of volunteers, Red Frogs offers support, care and education programs to ensure the well-being of students as they transition into a new phase of their lives.
Listen to the full interview with Andy and Gourley and 96five’s Ken and Nicky in the audio player above.