Choices and voices: Young women talk alcohol, vapes and drugs
Despite comprehensive education about vaping, alcohol and drugs, many young Australians continue to experiment. Supported by the 2022 ALIA Research Grant, Dr Suzana Sukovic, Director of College Research, and Dr Tony Stojkovski, Assistant to the Head of Curriculum, conducted the study 'Adolescents’ Recreational Substance Use and Epistemic Well-being' to explore how young women think and want to learn about substance use. Through surveys and focus groups with nearly 400 students and recent graduates, the research found that family, friends and lived experiences strongly shape their attitudes and choices, highlighting the need for respectful, safety-focused education and stronger collaboration between schools, families and communities.
All young people in Australia receive education about e-cigarettes, alcohol and drugs at school from Years 5–10 (ages 10–16), alongside a wealth of information from outside the classroom. Yet, many still vape, drink and use drugs. This disconnect between knowledge and behaviour is not new — but the complexity of today’s world, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, and emerging trends in substance use, highlight this gap with new urgency. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, young women in Australia are now using alcohol and illicit drugs at increasing rates, closing the gender gap for the first time. Vaping is also on the rise, with uptake beginning at younger ages. While substance preferences may differ, the growing global trend of polysubstance use — where multiple substances are used concurrently — is especially concerning, due to its increased health risks and the potential for impulsive decision-making.
In light of this gap between learning at school and real-life choices, Dr Tony Stojkovski (Assistant to the Head of Curriculum) and I wanted to understand young people’s perspectives on substance use, aiming to improve education and information around the topic. We were fortunate to receive the ALIA Research Award in 2022 for the project ‘Adolescents’ recreational substance use and epistemic well-being’. In 2023 and 2024, we conducted a survey and facilitated class and focus group discussions with female students from Years 9–12, as well as with young women who had finished school within the previous two years. Our aim was to explore their opinions, attitudes and experiences within their peer groups. Nearly 400 young women completed the survey, and approximately 100 participated in the qualitative components of the study.
Here are some key outcomes, conclusions and key messages from the study.
Learning as decision-makers
Young women want to be treated as people capable of making informed decisions — especially when it comes to their health and safety. They consistently emphasised that safety should be the priority in substance education, and that it should be delivered in a way that respects their autonomy.
‘It’s acknowledging us as people who make decisions rather than like children who just need to be educated.’
Participant, Year 10
Families shape early thinking
While young women receive information from a variety of sources, families and friends remain the most prominent influences. For younger adolescents in particular, family conversations, personal stories and modelling of responsible behaviour have a lasting impact. Some families choose not to discuss substance use, believing their children won’t engage in it — but adolescents in the study felt this silence was unhelpful, as they frequently witness substance use in their environments.
‘Parents think that safety is number one. And I think that should be the same in school — that safety is a priority.’
Participant, Year 12
Friends influence decisions
Participants clearly differentiated between influences on their thinking and influences on their decisions — highlighting friends as the dominant force behind decision-making from Year 10 onwards. By Year 12, three in 10 students had not seen substance use among their peers in the past six months, but none of the post-school participants selected ‘never’ as a response. More than half had witnessed substance use weekly or even daily. Many saw substance use as a normal part of growing up. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted usual social transitions, leading to a sudden shift from childhood activities to more adult-like social behaviours, without the gradual ramp-up previously typical.
A mixed experience of school education
Adolescents valued information from independent, external sources — especially when delivered by skilled guest speakers. While many school-aged participants questioned the relevance of school-based drug education, post-school participants reflected on how important it had actually been, especially since no structured information was available after school.
At university, drug-related content in coursework was often seen as theoretical and disconnected from their own lived experiences — sometimes even clashing with the norms they observed in certain professional fields.
Online information: quick, but unverified
Older adolescents rarely seek out information online, and when they do, they typically rely on quick searches without verifying results. Ads and awareness campaigns are generally dismissed as inauthentic. However, participants responded positively to honest conversations and real-life stories — especially when shared by trusted educators or relatable media figures.
While younger participants noticed portrayals of substance use in film and TV, older participants saw these depictions as unrealistic and disconnected from their own lived experiences.
What does this mean for library and information professionals?
Adolescents’ health and well-being depend on well-informed young people who must be supported holistically through collaboration across society. This is a strong message that came last year from the World Health Organization and health professionals such as Australian Professor Susan Sawyer. With information and education as key aspects of holistic support, information professionals in health and librarians who work with young people have an important role to play in renewed efforts to tackle substance use.
Adolescents are unlikely to go directly to a librarian to ask for information about substance use, but we can still make a major contribution, primarily by providing holistic information services. A quarter of a century ago, a pioneer in researching adolescent drug use in library and information studies, Professor Ross Todd, wrote this in his article ‘Utilization of heroin information by adolescent girls in Australia: A cognitive analysis’ (JASIS, 1999, 50/1, p. 22):
The study shows that no matter how compelling or authoritative information might be in the minds of others, no matter how useful someone else might think the information is, these qualities do not guarantee its receptivity and utilization by adolescents.
Although much has changed over the past 25 years, Professor Todd’s conclusion is still true today. To make young people receptive to trustworthy information, their information needs must be considered and met by taking into account rational, emotional, social and cultural aspects of their information behaviour and life choices.
Public and school libraries already have some useful programs and services. Further engagement with local communities to develop a good understanding of local trends and needs would lead to more targeted services. Collaboration with other sectors and industries may lead to the development of new programs and digital tools for particular needs. Libraries can also facilitate communication between young people and experts. The main element in all our efforts is the willingness to listen to sometimes uncomfortable truths and be attuned to changes as adolescents find their own unique ways of growing into adults. Listening to young people’s authentic voices and inviting them to collaborate with us is a good start.
This article was originally published in Incite, September 2025 (Vol. 46, Iss 3)
