Statistics and Indicators

In 2017, 4.0% of secondary students surveyed reported that they had ever used heroin or opiates, 2.4% had used them in the last year and 0.8% had used them in the last month. 2017 estimates for heroin and opiate use in the last week have not been published due to a relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers.

Heroin or opiates include heroin, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, codeine or pethidine other than for medical reasons. 

Please note that this indicator was updated in 2022 and replaces all previous versions. In addition, the wording of the question for use of heroin and opiates changed in 2017.

The following estimates have a relative standard error between 25% and 50% and should be used with caution:

2014 ever used heroin or opiates
2002, 2005 and 2014 used heroin or opiates in the last year
1999, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2017 used heroin or opiates in the last month
1999, 2002 and 2008 used heroin or opiates in the last week

The following estimates have not been published due to a relative standard error greater than 50% or small numbers:

2011 ever used heroin or opiates
2011 used heroin or opiates in the last year
2011 and 2014 used heroin or opiates in the last month
2005, 2011, 2014 and 2017 used heroin or opiates in the last week

For the purpose of reporting the Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug survey data on HealthStats, if the 95% confidence intervals of the estimates do not overlap, they are considered to be significantly different.