Illicit use of drugs

For the purposes of the Illicit Drug Data Report, ‘arrest’ incorporates recorded law enforcement action against a person for suspected unlawful involvement in illicit drugs. It incorporates enforcement action by way of arrest and charge, summons, diversion program, notice to appear, caution, cannabis expiation notice (South Australia), simple cannabis offence notice (Australian Capital Territory), drug infringement notice (Northern Territory), and cannabis intervention requirement (Western Australia). Some charges may have been subsequently dropped or the defendant may have been found not guilty.

A commonly prescribed pharmaceutical to help people sleep, and treat stress and anxiety.

Designated sites that allow people to test their drugs/pills to inform them of the purity and substances contained in the drug.

For the purposes of the Illicit Drug Data Report, a ‘seizure’ is the confiscation of a drug by a law enforcement agency (ACIC 2023).

Drug-induced deaths include deaths that were identified as being directly due to drug use (that is, where a drug-related condition is recorded as the underlying cause of death). These can include both those due to acute toxicity (for example, drug overdose) and consequences of chronic use (for example, drug-induced cardiac conditions), as determined by toxicology and pathology reports (ABS 2025a). Most drug-induced deaths (97% on average) are certified by a coroner. Multiple drug types may have been reported on a single death record as associated causes of death. As a result, the sum of each drug type may be greater than the total number of deaths.

Drug-related deaths include deaths where the person died either from or with drug use related conditions. This includes death directly due to drug use (as defined above) and deaths where a drug contributed to, but did not directly cause, the death (for example, a motor vehicle accident where heroin was detected in the person’s blood or chronic drug use in someone who died from coronary heart disease).

Hospital care with selected principal diagnoses (that is, the diagnosis established to be chiefly responsible for occasioning an episode of admitted patient care) of substance-use disorder or harm (all forms of harm, for example, accidental, intended or self-inflicted) due to selected substances. Hospital separations where the diagnosis of drug-related harm or disorder is additional to the principal diagnosis such as problems related to certain chronic conditions caused by the use of drugs like tobacco and alcohol have been excluded.

A group of drugs that were originally prescribed to manage epilepsy but are increasingly prescribed for neuropathic (nerve) pain, including pregabalin and gabapentin.

A central nervous system depressant that is produced naturally in the body but is also produced synthetically for anaesthetic and therapeutic purposes.

A group of psychedelic drugs that cause the user to hallucinate (Black and Bruno 2018). Common hallucinogens include LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), mushrooms, mescaline, salvia and DMT (dimethyltryptamine).

Illegal drugs, drugs and volatile substances used illicitly, and pharmaceuticals used for non-medical purposes.

The injection of drugs that were not medically prescribed to inject.

A dissociative drug originally used as an anaesthetic for medical purposes.

Used at least once in lifetime.

A group of synthetic opioids that are up to 1,000 times as potent as morphine.

Use of drugs either alone or with other drugs to induce or enhance a drug experience, for performance enhancement or for cosmetic purposes (this includes pain-killers/analgesics, tranquilisers/sleeping pills, steroids, methamphetamine and amphetamine, and other opioids such as morphine or pethidine).

The consumption of a prescription or over-the-counter drug for non-therapeutic purposes or other than directed by a registered health-care professional.

Substances with sedative and hypnotic effects, varying dosages of active ingredients and contain contaminants, including highly potent synthetic opioids. Other names given to this group of drugs include research chemicals, analogues, legal highs, herbal highs, bath salts, novel psychoactive substances, and synthetic drugs.

A commonly prescribed pharmaceutical used for pain management, and as a substitution for treatment of heroin and other opioid dependence. The most common forms of opioids prescribed and dispensed in Australia were oxycodone, codeine, tramadol, and buprenorphine (including buprenorphine/naloxone).

Deaths attributable directly to drug use and where an opioid was present. An opioid may have been present singularly or found in combination with other substances.

Medicine that you can buy without a prescription from a pharmacy or retail outlet.

Drugs that are used to treat pain, some respiratory illnesses, and opioid dependence, including oxycodone, buprenorphine, and codeine.

Medications that are usually prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, including methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and modafinil (Modavigil).

A class of drugs with psychoactive and stimulant effects, including amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy), as well as new psychoactive substances.

Substances that are typically described as ‘failed pharmaceuticals’ and are frequently sold as ecstasy due to their central nervous system stimulant properties.

Mixing or taking an illicit or licit drug whilst under the influence of another drug.

Medicines that are only available to buy from pharmacies with a valid prescription from a medical or dental practitioner.

The main substance that the client stated led them to seek treatment from an alcohol and drug treatment agency.

Recorded for coroner-referred deaths in the National Mortality Database, psychosocial risk factors are ‘social processes and social structures which can have an interaction with individual thought or behaviour and health outcomes’ (ABS 2024). Risk factors may not be mutually exclusive and therefore deaths with multiple psychosocial risk factors recorded will be counted in more than one category.

The source from which the client was transferred or referred to the alcohol and other drug treatment service.

A group of drugs that cause calming and sedative effects due to their depressive activity on the central nervous system, including benzodiazepines such as diazepam, alprazolam and temazepam.

Substances that are designed to mimic or produce similar effects to cannabis.

Amphetamine-type analogues including mephedrone (‘meow meow’) and methylone.

The period of contact between a client and a treatment provider or a team of providers. Each treatment episode has 1 principal drug of concern and 1 main treatment type. An episode is closed when treatment is completed, there has been no further contact between the client and the treatment provider for 3 months or when treatment is ceased.

Psychoactive hallucinogens found in plants, fungi and animals.