Summary - Department of Health and Ageing

Indigenous Australians provide the most extreme example of the link between SES and
health. The starkest indicator of the health status of Indigenous Australians is their life
expectancy, which is 15 to 20 years less than that of the Australian population as a whole.
The social inequalities experienced by Indigenous Australians have their roots in the
history of colonialism that has shaped the government policies and institutions. The
inequalities can be seen in a number of ways. Compared to the general population,
Indigenous people are less likely to have post-secondary qualifications, be employed, or
occupy professional, managerial or administrative positions. Among Indigenous peoples,
in 1996 the median individual income was three-quarters and median family income 68%,
of that of the general population.
Most researchers agree that social factors are responsible for the adverse health and social
impacts of drug use, particularly alcohol, among Indigenous Australians. The similar
patterns of alcohol misuse and harm seen among Indigenous peoples in Australia, New
Zealand and Canada are related to the continuing consequences of colonialism, dispossession
and economic exclusion. A number of studies of Indigenous Australian communities link
substance misuse—including smoking, alcohol misuse, and poly-drug use in young
people—to these social indicators.
The evidence base makes clear the role of social determinants in influencing drug usage
and drug-related problems, particularly for illegal drugs. The strength of the evidence is
such that researchers and policy makers need to plan and implement a wide range of
interventions that acknowledge and address the social origins of poor health and risky
health behaviours at all levels—individual, family, community and across the population.