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The COVID-19 pandemic has been blamed for a huge increase in alcohol sales across Australia.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed Australians spent $15.9 billion on drinks last year, and that's not including booze bought at pubs and clubs.

Between January 2019 to the end of 2021, alcohol sales online and in bottle shops jumped by 29 per cent, which equates to a $3.6 billion increase.

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Of the $3.6 billion, $2.1 billion was sold in December 2021 alone.

The 2021 alcohol sales exceeded retail turnover for 2020 by more than $300 million.

This is an all-time high in comparison to the previous two years.

Despite this stark increase, December is historically the highest month for alcohol sales in the year.

The data also showed a comparison of each month between 2019 and 2021 and revealed that alcohol sales were consistently higher in every month of last year.

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Alcohol retail sales have increased in every state and territory that reports data over the past three years.

This includes NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

NSW, Victoria and Western Australia recorded the highest turnover levels.

Tasmania and the ACT reported a more than 50 per cent increase in sales over the past three years.

Western Australia was the only state to see a slight decrease in turnover from 2020 to 2021 but still saw elevated sales over the two years.

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Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi condemned alcohol companies for "pushing" products into Australian homes while many faced ongoing stress as a result of the pandemic.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, there are indications more people are needing help because of alcohol harms," Ms Giorgi said.

"At the same time, alcohol companies have used the pandemic as a marketing opportunity.

"Many Australians are doing it tough, while alcohol companies are making super profits."

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A pint-sized shark that habits Australian waters has more in common with humans than thought.

In recently-published research, a team of scientists from University of Sydney explained the shark's pregnancy develops like humans.

The species is called the Australian sharpnose shark and it lurks off the coast of northern Australia.

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Every summer a female will get pregnant with five to ten pups. The young are born nearly a year later in the following summer.

Scientists found the young sharks are attached to the mother with an umbilical cord and placenta, separated by a thin layer of egg capsule.

The placenta is made up of thin layers of cells from the mother and the baby.

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"The egg capsule in the sharpnose placenta has no pores," the scientists said in a statement.

"But we showed it can still allow small molecules to pass from the mother to her babies, such as oxygen and small nutrients including sugars, amino acids, fatty acids and water.

"This explains how sharpnose babies can grow so quickly inside the mother's uterus."

Unlike humans the sharpnose shark "pauses" the pregnancy for seven months — a process known as Diapause — to ensure young are born in warm, summer waters.

When embryonic development resumes the pubs feed on egg yoke. The placenta takes over about a month later.

"When the babies are born, their umbilical cords drop off, leaving them with belly buttons."

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Shark pregnancy varies according to species

The biology of shark reproduction has long fascinated scientists, as it varies according to the species in question.

For instance, to date no-one has every witnessed great white sharks mating.

Some species like the Port Jackson shark lay eggs, while great white sharks, give birth to live young.

Great white sharks like the sharpnose shark gestate their pups for a year before giving birth, while the frilled shark — a species of the deep — are pregnant for more than three years.

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A desperate search is underway to find a missing Victorian teenager who may have been inspired by a famous book to go "walkabout" in bushland with little supplies.

Samuel Thomson, 19, left his Lysterfield South home last Thursday morning to go camping, leaving a "cryptic" note inside the book Into the Wild that he was going off the grid.

The teen then got in his car and drove north-west, dumping his car about 20-kilometres outside of the regional city Swan Hill, about 3.5 hours from Melbourne.

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His mother Elizabeth Thomson today gave an impassioned plea for any campers or locals who may have seen her son to come forward, as he has not answered the numerous messages and phone calls left by his family and friends.

The family and police are also concerned that the teen does not have enough food or supplies to survive in bushland on his own for a long period of time.

"Sam hasn't answered any of his messages from us," she said.

"If he was camping with friends and I sent him a message it would be usual for him to maybe not to answer me – because he's camping with his friends.

"But our concern is that none of his friends know where he is and he hasn't answered any of the numerous messages that have gone to his phone from his friends or from his family."

The last time she spoke to her son was the night prior to him leaving for his camping trip.

Ms Thomson said her son had been in "fine form" after going out with friends to a trivia night, where he had a great time.

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She heard him in his room early in the morning about 7.30am the next day, but she did not interrupt him as she knew he was going camping.

However, when he did not answer any calls or texts and they found the odd note in his book – they knew something was not right.

"The note that was found was very cryptic – yes he mentioned he was going walkabout and he said he that he would be back – but because it was inside the book and he was taken by the story of the book when he bought it and read it a year ago, that's caused us great concern," Ms Thomson said.

"We don't know what's going through his head."

Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild is based on the true story of Chris McCandless, who hitchhiked through the Alaskan wilderness, living off the land, until he later died of starvation.

Senior Constable Imogen Brill said she feared Sam had potentially taken inspiration from the book, but they remained optimistic.

"We are aware of the ending of that book and it does play into our concerns, but it's not necessarily the reason we are searching for him," she said.

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"We don't believe he has any food or money or mobile phone.

"He does have some camping equipment. We are concerned that he is in a remote location and he's not able to contact anyone and he doesn't have enough possessions to be able to last a long period of time in the bush on his own."

Sam was last seen by a couple called Sally and Rick, who picked him up while hitchhiking on February 11.

They let him camp in their backyard with his tent and then took him to a town called Nyah, about 30-kilometres north-west of Swan Hill.

Sam told the couple he had plans to travel to Mildura.

"Lovely couple – Sally and Rick picked him up and gave him some food – lovely to know that," Ms Thomson said.

"He gave them honest information about who he was. He seemed to be in sound mind however he was evasive about where he was going."

Sam is believed to be travelling on foot, with police and his father David scouring local campsites and towns in their search for him.

Ms Thomson said since her son's disappearance, the family had felt a "rollercoaster" of emotions and were holding onto the hope he was safe.

"He's had two years of COVID lockdown and all the restrictions on young people – I am hoping and holding onto the idea he is having a lovely time exploring the world off the grid."

Sam is believed to be travelling with a blue and green Pioneer hiking backpack, a black and red tent and a blue sleeping bag.

Police have urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact Narre Warren Police Station on 9705 3111.