A growing number of teens are questioning this ritual and the drinking habits of young people have started to shift. In 2001, 70 per cent of young people in Australia, aged between 14 and 17, had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2022–2023). But in the past few years, this has dropped to about three in 10 young people, a downward trend that has been seen worldwide, particularly in wealthier countries like Sweden and the UK.