This Australian study provided insight into the health risks of young people in the work force by documenting patterns of alcohol and drug consumption and sexual health practices among young people under the age of 25 who had entered the work force in traditional industries, such as manufacturing, building and hairdressing, and high growth industries. The study consisted of 393 young workers from 29 companies; 4 training institutions participated in the study. The results demonstrated that young non-professional workers faced certain health risks in their social lives. There were high levels of alcohol and tobacco consumption among young workers. Minority-young workers were identified as using no protection against either STDs or unwanted pregnancies, putting their sexual health at risk. In general, young men engaged in more alcohol and drug use than young women, and higher levels of alcohol and other drug consumption were seen among those in building, manufacturing, and hairdressing than those in other industries. Further research was recommended to explain why these risk-taking practices were so prevalent among young workers. In addition, results suggest the usefulness in targeting public health promotion toward different work cultures and tailoring messages to women and men independently. Tables and references