A radical rethink by Australian parents appears to be behind a dramatic plunge in alcohol consumption by high school-aged kids.
A new study shows young Aussies are drinking far less than their peers almost 20 years ago, and fewer teens are smoking tobacco and cannabis.
Researchers say parents have heeded public health warnings about the dangers of even small amounts of alcohol during adolescence, and are now much less willing to give it to their kids.
Parental supply of alcohol has dropped from a high of 22 per cent in 2007, to 12 per cent.
The sale of alcohol to minors also has plunged from 12 per cent in 1999, to just one per cent.
The study is based on analysis of more than 40,000 student surveys completed in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia between 1999 and 2015.
Lead researcher Professor John Toumbourou, from Deakin University, says the results show how effective public health campaigns have been.
"This is a game changer; we can see that parents are taking on the advice from our national health guidelines that even a small amount of alcohol is harmful to teenagers," Prof Toumbourou said.
"And we believe this is what has seen Australia go from having one of the highest rates of alcohol use by high school students in the world, to one of the lowest."
He says the findings also point to the value of school drug education programs, restrictive underage purchase laws and market regulations.
"All (are) critical in ensuring we protect our young people from drug and alcohol harm," he said.
The study, which also involved the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, has been published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal.
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