Alcohol and other drug treatment services in the Northern Territory

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

Full publication (220K PDF)

• Highlights
  • In the Northern Territory (NT), 19 government-funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies provided 3,032 '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 (61%), with over a third of all treatment episodes (36%) provided for clients in the 30-39 year age group.
  • Male clients in the NT accounted for just under two-thirds (64%) of all closed treatment episodes.
  • In the NT, alcohol (72%) was the most common principal drug of concern in closed treatment episodes, followed by cannabis (9%) and amphetamines (6%).
  • Of all closed treatment episodes in the NT, counselling was the most common form of main treatment provided (25%), followed by information and education only (21%) and assessment only (20%).
  • Treatment episodes in the NT most commonly ceased because the treatment was completed (57%).
  • In the NT, clients aged 10-19 and 20-29 years were more likely than clients aged 30 years or more to seek treatment for cannabis (34% and 16%, compared to 4% respectively) and less likely to seek treatment for alcohol (54% and 60%, compared to 78%).