Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Western Australia

Findings from the National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) 2002 - 03 for WA

Full publication (225K PDF)

• Highlights
  • In Western Australia (WA), 28 government-funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies provided 14,222 'closed treatment episodes' (see below for the definition of 'closed treatment episodes').
  • The majority of closed treatment episodes were for clients aged between 20 and 39 years of age (57%), with just under one-third of all treatment episodes (32%) provided for clients in the 20-29 year age group.
  • Male clients in WA accounted for nearly two-thirds (63%) of all closed treatment episodes.
  • In WA, alcohol (33%) was the most common principal drug of concern in closed treatment episodes, followed by amphetamines (26%) and cannabis (25%).
  • Of all closed treatment episodes in WA, counselling was the most common form of main treatment provided (58%), followed by information and education only (14%), withdrawal management (detoxification) and assessment only (10% each).
  • In WA, clients aged 10-19 and 20-29 years were more likely than clients aged 30 years or more to seek treatment for cannabis (56% and 22%, compared to 13%) and less likely to seek treatment for alcohol (15% and 19%, compared to 51%).