HEALTH BELIEFS RELATING TO ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG-USE IN THE AUSTRALIAN POPULATION

This study uses data from a nationally representative population surve y conducted in March and April 1993 to examine alcohol and other drug- related health beliefs within the Australian population. The results s how widespread ignorance about the causes of drug-related mortality, w ith 43 percent of respondents believing that alcohol is the major caus e of drug-related premature death. Only 32 percent of the respondents mentioned tobacco as the major cause of death. Those who identified to bacco as the drug causing the greatest number of deaths were more like ly to be male, young, Australian or British-born, and better educated. Women were more accurate in their assessment of the risk levels assoc iated with alcohol consumption than men, as were the young and the bet ter educated. There is widespread public knowledge about the risks tha t are associated with passive smoking. Overall, the results point to t he need to focus health promotion and awareness campaigns on the group s that have so far proved most immune to health messages, namely, heav y drinkers and smokers.