National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022

This survey gives you the opportunity to provide information about your use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and your views on issues relating to these substances, such as support for policies and reforms. Findings from the survey are used by a range of stakeholders including researchers and policymakers, to help estimate prevalence and better understand the issues surrounding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey relies on face-to-face contact with people in selected households to explain the purpose of the survey and deliver survey materials. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all face-to-face interviewing methods were halted between 2020 and early 2022.

Restarting face-to-face contact methods following such a long break has taken considerable time and effort, particularly in training new interviewers across Australia. As a result, not all questionnaires could be distributed before the end of 2022.

The survey being distributed in 2023 is the same as the survey that was given out in 2022, and your responses will contribute to a better understanding of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia and how attitudes may have changed since 2019 and over time.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) runs the survey. The AIHW has contracted Roy Morgan Ltd to undertake the fieldwork for the survey. Roy Morgan interviewers will leave the survey at selected households. They will then return to collect the paper questionnaire or remind you to complete the survey online or over the phone.

Your household was randomly selected from all Australian households. This selection process makes it more likely that the results we get represent the views and behaviours of most Australians. 

In addition to general questions about your age, birthplace, employment, household composition and education, the survey will ask about your:

• perceptions and attitudes towards alcohol, tobacco and other drugs;
• use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, including potential harms and access;
• support for alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related policies and reforms;
• awareness of available information and guidelines; and
• general health.

There are 3 ways to complete the survey: online, on paper or by phone.

• Online: Enter the number that the interviewer gives you. We recommend that you complete the survey online, as it will be easier and faster to complete.
• On paper: All you need to do is fill in the paper questionnaire, place it in the white envelope labelled ‘Strictly Confidential’, and seal it. The interviewer will arrange a date and time to collect it.
• By phone: If you have elected to complete the survey by phone, an interviewer will call you at a prearranged time to complete the survey.

The online survey form has been translated and is available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Greek and Italian. Go to this link or scan the QR code on the front of your survey form and enter the number that the interviewer gives you to access the translated survey.

The paper questionnaire is only available in English. If you wish to complete the paper form but cannot read English well enough to do so, you may ask someone you know to help you.

The survey is voluntary, but your participation is important so that we can obtain information from a cross-section of the population. The more people who complete the survey, the more useful the information will be.

Yes. Everyone's answers are important. It does not matter if you have never used alcohol, tobacco or other drugs – your reasons for not doing so, and your attitudes towards these substances, are important for this study. We need to obtain answers from a broad range of people so that the survey results represent the views and behaviours of most Australians.

The survey usually takes 20–40 minutes to complete depending on your answers. 

If you have questions about how to complete or return the survey, please phone 1800 000 293 (Roy Morgan) for help.

People who complete the survey have the chance to win 1 of 20 $500 e-Gift cards. This card lets you choose where you would like to use it, and you can spread the amount you spend over different stores. Please refer to the Roy Morgan website for more details.

If you do not wish to take part in the prize draw, please contact Roy Morgan on 1800 000 293.

Your first name and address are collected by Roy Morgan so that the interviewer can return to your household to collect the questionnaire or to remind you to complete it. The interviewer will also use these contact details (first name and phone number) to enter you into the prize draw unless you have chosen not to participate. Your contact details are used to contact you about the survey and to contact the winners of the prize draws. They will never be linked with any of your responses from the survey or used for any other purpose. The information is destroyed once winners of the prize draw are notified.

The survey results are confidential, and strictly protected by law. Section 29 of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Act 1987 prohibits the release of any information about individuals collected in the survey. No results or other data that could possibly identify individuals will be released.

The research complies with the Privacy Act 1988 and the information is only used for research purposes. This means that the information you provide cannot be used for activities that focus on individuals, like compliance or law enforcement.

Roy Morgan works to the Code of Professional Behaviour of the Research Society.

The AIHW Ethics Committee has reviewed and approved the survey project.

No. Section 29 of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Act 1987 prohibits the release of any information about individuals collected in the survey. All people connected with this survey – from the interviewers to the researchers—must sign a declaration of confidentiality. This means they cannot release any information that you disclosed in the survey. No one (not even the police) has access to personal information collected for this survey.

Results will be analysed by the AIHW and a report will be published on the AIHW website. The most recent report can be seen at National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019. For previous reports, visit National Household Drug Survey reports.

The results of the survey allow us to understand Australians’ views on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, as well as how many people do and don’t use these substances. This in turn can help Governments to develop policies and direct funding in ways that are informed by the views of the public, with the goal of improving the health and wellbeing of people in your community and of all Australians.

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey was last conducted in 2019 and has been conducted every three years since 1995.

Across Australia, people have experienced the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to varying degrees. These impacts may have affected how much people drink, how much they smoke, and the availability of some illicit substances. As a result, it is important that the National Drug Strategy Household Survey continues to collect this data to monitor how use, potential harms and trends are changing over time.

All Roy Morgan staff have been trained in COVID safety measures to protect your health and theirs. Your safety is always of utmost importance. Roy Morgan have implemented strict measures to ensure we can safely interview all Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes:

• Training in social distancing in line with local Government guidelines.
• Screener questions to identify any risk of COVID for both the interviewer and the interviewee.
• All interviewers have been provided with personal protective equipment including hand sanitiser, face masks and disposable gloves.

For free and confidential advice about your own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use, please contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. This Hotline provides information and support to those impacted by alcohol and other drug use by directing them to the relevant Alcohol and Drug Information Service in their state or territory, and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Counselling Online is also available and offers a free and confidential service that provides support to people across Australia affected by alcohol and drug use. Counselling Online is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For friends and families of those people experiencing harm from illicit drugs and alcohol, Family Drug Support provides a 24-hour national toll free telephone service to achieve improved health and social outcomes. Family Drug Support can be accessed via their website or on 1300 368 186.

For help quitting smoking, please contact the Quitline on 13 7848 to speak to a counsellor who can provide a confidential, evidence-based telephone counselling service.

For general information about alcohol and other drugs, please visit the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website.

For emotional support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact one of these services for support or treatment in your relevant state or territory:

New South Wales

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS)

Sydney: 02 9361 8000
Regional NSW: 1800 422 599
A 24-hour confidential information, advice, and referral telephone service.

Victoria

Direct Line 1800 888 236
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Confidential alcohol and drug information, counselling, and referral line.

Queensland

Alcohol and Drug Information Services (ADIS) 1800 177 833
24-hour confidential alcohol and drug information, counselling, and treatment referral service.

Western Australia

WA Alcohol & Drug Information Service (ADIS)

Perth: 08 9442 5000
Regional WA: 1800 198 024
A 24-hour, confidential telephone service that provides information, counselling, referral, and advice.

South Australia

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1300 131 340
A 24-hour telephone information, counselling, and referral service.

Tasmania

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1800 811 994
24-hour confidential telephone service offering information, advice, referral, and support.

Australian Capital Territory

ACT Health Services: Alcohol & Other Drugs 02 5124 9977
For initial contact with the Alcohol and Drug Service Intake Line.

Northern Territory

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1800 131 350
24-hour alcohol and drug telephone information, referral, and counselling service.