Australia's underage drinkers consume more than 175 million drinks a year and feed $107 million directly into government coffers, according to a new report highlighting "alarming'' rates of illegal alcohol consumption.
Specialists from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre say their findings show "getting pissed'' is still a firm priority for young Australians - but the money they spend on drinks is doing nothing to help curb the problem.
"We've shown teenage drinking is a big money spinner for the government,'' said Dr Christopher Doran, lead author of the study in the journal Addictive Behaviours.
"There's vast amounts flowing in, especially from spending on spirits and pre-mixed drinks. But while the money pours in, it's not being used to actually take a good look at this and turn this problem around.''
The study shows that 506,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 drank about 175 million standard drinks in 2005, generating sales of $218 million.
The federal government got $107 million of this, including $57 million from spirits and $29 million from pre-mixed drinks, or alcopops.
About 40 per cent of the income came from 16- and 17-year-old boys.
But the report also showed high rates of drinking in younger age groups, with about 17 per cent of 13-year-olds drinking four drinks a week, and 30 per cent of 14-year-olds consuming six drinks.
Spirits were the drink of choice for boys of all ages, while girls favoured alcopops closely followed by spirits.
"This just goes to show our young people are drinking excessively, and they are drinking to get drunk,'' Dr Doran said.
He and colleagues at the University of Queensland argue that the federal government's move to raise taxes on pre-mixed drinks is a bandaid solution that will not curb drinking.
"We predict, and it's already been shown, that it will just drive even more underage drinkers, especially the girls, onto spirits without addressing the fundamental problem of binge drinking in young people,'' Dr Doran said.
The specialists say a volumetric taxation system, which taxes on the basis of alcohol content, would be more cost effective.
"But this isn't just about the taxation problem,'' he said.
"It's about the drinking problem in general, and it's not being dealt with.''
Tax on alcopops increased by 70 per cent in April, further increasing revenue, but the hike - introduced by regulation - needs parliamentary approval by April 2009.