Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Recent Alcohol and Drug releases

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2006-07: findings from the National Minimum Data Set (17 October 2008) (media release and publication)

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2006-07: report on the National Minimum Data Set (17 October 2008) (media release and publication)

Key Alcohol and Drug publications

National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection: 2007 report (28 July 2008) (publication)

2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey: first results (27 April 2008) (media release and publication)

Popular titles

Australia's health 2008
Australia's health 2008		 Australia's welfare 2007
Australia's welfare 2007

On this page:

What is the survey about?

The survey is about what people think about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs and how widely drugs are used. The answers given for this survey will be used by researchers and policy makers to better understand and address the issues surrounding tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

When will the survey results be available?

The 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey Questionnaire is available now.

The first publication will be First results, to be released in mid-April.

The data set will be sent to the Australian Social Sciences Data Archive (ASSDA) at the ANU in mid-2008, from where the data set may be accessed-see ASSDA for details.

The second publication, Detailed findings, is slated for around October 2008. A third publication providing state/territory specific results may be published separately or incorporated in Detailed findings. The delivery, timing and format of these two publications is not yet set in stone

If I participated in the Survey, how is my privacy protected?

The survey is conducted under the AIHW Act, which prohibits the release of information about individuals collected in the survey. No-one will be able to identify you or your answers to the survey. Your confidentiality is assured - even from legal authorities.

But can't you report any illegal activities to the authorities?

Under the AIHW Act, all people connected with this survey - from the interviewers to the researchers - must sign a declaration of confidentiality, so that they cannot release any information to anyone on any person responding to this survey. This means that the police and legal authorities have no access to personal information collected for this survey, even if asked to do so in court.

How can I help? I don't take drugs.

Everyone's answers are important - irrespective of whether they have or have not ever taken any drugs. Your reasons for taking or not taking drugs are important for this study, along with your attitudes to drugs. For this survey we need to obtain answers from a broad range of people so that the survey results represent the views and behaviours of all Australians.

But I don't have the time or interest to complete this survey...

We understand that any survey takes time to complete, particularly when you have other things that you'd prefer to be doing. However, this research is an extremely important government study, used to identify the attitudes and behaviours of Australians in relation to legal and illegal drug use. The results may directly influence government decisions and policies. Your answers will be used to represent the views of many households similar to your own, so your answers count. We ask for you to take the time to complete this important survey.