This data briefing presents findings from the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (AODTS-NMDS) for WA. The AODTS-NMDS is a nationally agreed set of common data items collected by government funded service providers of clients of alcohol and other drug treatment services.
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%).
