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Alcohol and other drugs in Australia

Alcohol and other drugs in Australia

Substance use in Australia

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's 2019 Household Survey:

Alcohol is the most common principal drug of concern that leads to Australians seeking alcohol and other drug treatment services

  • Alcohol accounts for nearly three in five drug-related hospitalisations
  • Four in five adults had consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months
  • One in five (21 per cent) had been a victim of an alcohol-related incident
  • About 16 per cent of Australians had used at least one illegal substance in the past 12 months (this includes using pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes)
    • One in 25 had misused a pharmaceutical drug
    • The most commonly used illegal drugs that were used at least once in the past 12 months were cannabis (11.6 per cent), followed by cocaine (4.2 per cent) and ecstasy (3 per cent)
  • Most meth/amphetamine users used ‘ice’ as their main form, increasing from 22 per cent of recent meth/amphetamine users in 2010 to 50 per cent in 2019

Additionally:

  • Alcohol intoxication was the leading cause of ambulance call outs for alcohol and other drug incidents from 2015-2021
  • The death rate involving meth/amphetamines and other stimulants was four times higher in 2020 than in 2000
  • Alcohol and tobacco are two of the top five risk factors for preventable disease (The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018)

More resources

Reach Out - What is addiction?

Alcohol and Drug Foundation

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Getting help

There are a range of services available for people struggling with substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, our alcohol and other drugs services may be able to help.
Learn more about our services

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