Alcohol and cannabis account for more than half of the drug
treatment episodes provided in Australia, followed by heroin and
amphetamines, according to a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The report, Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in
Australia 2003-04, profiles 137,000 closed (completed)
treatment episodes across 622 government-funded alcohol and other
drug treatment agencies*.
It shows that alcohol was the most common principal drug of
concern in 38% of these treatment episodes, with cannabis
accounting for 22%, heroin 18% and amphetamines 11%.
It appears many clients are seeking treatment for multiple drug
problems, because over half of all treatment episodes involved at
least one other drug of concern, in addition to the principal
drug.
AIHW report co-author Chrysanthe Psychogios said that although
the overall results were very clear, there were also important
differences between the various age groups.
'It seems that there are "ages and stages" when it comes to
seeking drug treatment services. Cannabis and heroin are the drugs
the under-30s are presenting to treatment services for, while in
the over 30s, alcohol becomes the predominant drug of concern.'
'For example, among 10-19 year olds, cannabis was principal drug
of concern in 49% of treatment episodes, while in the 20-29 age
group cannabis at 27% was closely followed by heroin at 26%.
Alcohol was the most commonly reported principal drug of concern
amongst 30-39 year olds (40%), rising to 82% for those aged 60
years and older.'
'In relation to amphetamines, the topic of our special chapter
in the report, nearly half of amphetamine users who sought
treatment-male and female-were aged 20-29. The 2004 National Drug
Strategy Household Survey also showed that this age group were most
likely to have ever used amphetamines (21.1%).'
'Among clients seeking treatment for amphetamines, injection was
found to be the most common method of drug use at 79%'.
Men were more than twice as likely to receive treatment for
amphetamine use as women were.
Ms Psychogios said that counselling and withdrawal management
(detoxification) were the most common types of treatment overall,
with counselling accounting for the highest proportion of closed
treatment episodes for most principal drugs of concern. Counselling
was most common amongst female clients, and clients in the older
age groups.
Forty percent of all alcohol and other drug treatment episodes
involved clients who were self-referred, followed by referrals from
other alcohol and drug treatment organisations.
*Agencies whose sole activity is to prescribe and/or dose
methadone or other opioid maintenance therapies are excluded from
the national data set.
18 August 2005
Further information: Chrysanthe Psychogios,
AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1068 or 0407 915 851
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of Alcohol and Other Drug
Treatment Services in Australia 2003-04.