ABSTRACT.A report of the findings of a sample survey of alcohol consumption by Tasmanian High School pupils (age 12–16) in 1979.The sample of 646 boys and 565 girls was drawn from 14 Tasmanian High Schools and is considered to be representative of High School pupils in that State. The main findings are that(a) a marked increase in drinking particularly by boys occurs between age 14 and 15.(b) by age 11 the majority of boys and girls have had their first drink, and there is a tendency to more widespread early experimentation with alcoholic drinks over the period 1975–1979.(c) An association is observed between drinking behaviour and health outcomes of drinking as perceived by the