Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia annual report 2023–24

People may receive treatment for their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use (see Key terminology and glossary). Characteristics of all clients aged 10 and over are described below, including clients’ principal drugs of concern by age group and new and returning clients in the current collection year.  

The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services (AODTS) collection captures information on treatment services clients received. It does not measure the underlying need for treatment or level of alcohol or drug use in the community. Changes in client numbers over time may be due to clients’ access to treatment, treatment availability, differences in counting methodologies, and/or funding available for alcohol and other drug treatment services. 

Characteristics of clients

The number of people aged 10 and over treated by publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies increased by 15% in the last 10 years, from 114,436 in 2013–14 to 131,892 in 2023–24.

When taking population growth into consideration, the rate of people receiving services over the past decade has fluctuated, rising from 564 clients per 100,000 people in 2013–14, peaking at 623 in 2018–19 before falling to 553 clients in 2023–24.

Of the clients receiving treatment in 2023–24:

• 56% had previously received treatment at least once since 2013–14 when client reporting was enabled.
• 44% had not previously received treatment since 2013–14.

In 2023–24:

• 125,163 people received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use and 13,167 received treatment in relation to someone else’s alcohol or drug use.
• 1 in 20 (4.9%, 6,438) clients received treatment for their own as well as someone else’s alcohol or drug use (Table SCR.27).

Client profile

In 2023–24:

• Most people (93%,122,582) received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use. These clients were more likely to be male (61%, 74,514).
• Of the 7.1% of people (9,310) who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use, 2 in 5 were female (43%, 3,972). However, in 2023–24 for the first time since 2013–14, a greater proportion of males received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use (47%, 4,459) (8.9% was not stated for sex) (tables SC.1–2).
• The rate of all clients receiving AOD services was highest for those that lived in Very remote areas (1,417 per 100,000 people) and lowest for those in Major cities (480 per 100,000, Table SCR.29).
• 3 in 4 (78%, 102,576) people received treatment at a single agency, 15% (19,752) attended 2 agencies, and 7.2% (9,564) of clients received treatment at 3 or more agencies (Table SCR.23).

See key terminology and glossary for further information on how clients are counted in this report. 

Age and sex

Clients who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use tended to be younger than those who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use. 

In 2023–24, client characteristics revealed:

• 3 in 5 of all people aged 10 and over were male (60%, 78,973) and 7 in 10 (72%, 95,575) of all clients were aged 20–49.
• Less than one percent (0.7%, 964) of all people reported a sex of ‘Another term’, which includes people who reported sex as indeterminate, intersex or non-binary
• 3 in 5 (59%, 71,931) people who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use were aged under 40.
• 1 in 12 (8.4% 10,329) people who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use were 10–19 years of age.
• 1 in 5 (19%, 22,950) people aged 50 and over received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use.
• Half (52%, 4,844 clients) of those who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use were aged under 40.
• 1 in 4 (25%, 2,539) people who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use were aged over 50 (Figure CLIENTS 2, tables SC.2-4).

Profile of new and returning clients

Treatment is an important part of reducing the harms associated with alcohol and drug use and it is crucial that those seeking treatment can access services that best meet their needs (Department of Health and Aged Care 2019a). Some individuals may seek lifelong treatment and ongoing support to achieve long-term changes. For other people, early intervention and treatment may suffice, while some may only seek intermittent access to treatment as required (Department of Health and Aged Care 2019b).

Of the clients who received treatment for the first time in 2023–24 (new clients):

• 2 in 5 (44%, 58,165) clients had not previously received treatment since 2013–14 (see Key terminology and glossary) (Table SCR.28). Of these clients:
  • 3 in 5 (61%, 35,232) new clients were aged under 40, with 1 in 7 (14%, 8,129) aged 10–19.
  • Over half (56%, 32,450) of new clients were male.
  • Most clients received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use (92%, 53,527) and these clients received an average of 1.5 treatment episodes nationally.
• Of the clients who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use, half (50%) were new clients in 2023–24 (Figure CLIENTS 3, Table SCR.28).

Of the clients in 2023–24, who had previously received AOD treatment (returning clients):

• Over half (56%, 73,727) had previously received AOD treatment from a service at some point since 2013–14, when client reporting was enabled (see Key terminology and glossary). Of these clients:
  • 3 in 5 of returning clients were male (63%, 46,523).
  • Over half (56%, 41,425) were aged 30–49.
  • Most received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use (94%, 69,055) and these clients received an average of 2 treatment episodes, nationally (Figure CLIENTS 3, Table SCR.28).

In 2023–24, for new clients who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use:

• Where Alcohol was a principal drug of concern, 2 in 5 (38%, 34,143) of all alcohol treatment episodes were for new clients, followed by:
  • Half (49%, 16,636) of all treatment episodes for cannabis were for new clients.
  • 1 in 4 (26%, 14,821) of all treatment episodes for amphetamines were for new clients.
  • 1 in 5 (19%, 1,821) of all treatment episodes for heroin were for new clients (Figure CLIENTS 4, Table SCR.28a).

In 2023–24, for returning clients who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use:

• Where alcohol was a principal drug of concern, 3 in 5 (62%, 56,679) of all alcohol treatment episodes were for returning clients, followed by:
  • 3 in 4 (74%, 42,596) of all treatment episodes for amphetamines were for returning clients.
  • Half (51%, 17,265) of all treatment episodes for cannabis were for returning clients.
  • 4 in 5 (81%, 7,532) of all treatment episodes for heroin were for returning clients (Figure CLIENTS 4, Table SCR.28a).

Clients and drugs of concern

AOD treatment services provide treatment for the drug that is of most concern to the client, which is referred to as their principal drug of concern.

Different age groups received treatment for different principal drugs of concern. For people who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use in 2023–24:

• Alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern in the older age groups: Half of people aged 40–49 (47%), 3 in 5 aged 50–59 (61%) and three-quarters of people aged 60 and over (75%). 
• Amphetamines were the most common drug of concern for people in their 20s and 30s, 1 in 4 people aged 20–29 (26%) and 2 in 5 aged 30–39 (35%). However, in 2023–24 for the first time, a greater proportion of clients aged 40–49 (28%) received treatment for amphetamines compared to 2022–23 (25%).
• Cannabis was the most common principal drug of concern in younger clients, 3 in 5 people aged 10–19 (60%) and 1 in 4 aged 20–29 (26%) (Figure CLIENTS 5, Table SC.10).

The age and sex profiles of clients varied by principal drug of concern. For people who received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use in 2023–24 (122,582):

• Where heroin (5,462) was the principal drug of concern, the majority (84%) were aged 30 and over (32% were aged 30‍–‍39, 33% were aged 40–49 and 19% aged 50 and over) (Table SC.10).
• Where cocaine (1,858) was the principal drug of concern, males were nearly 6 times (82%) more likely to receive treatment than females (15%) (Table SC.9).
• 7 in 10 (71%) clients who received treatment for volatile solvents (258) as a principal drug of concern were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people (Table SC.11).
• Where codeine (228) was the principal drug of concern, half (50%) of clients were female.

Usual accommodation type for client

The collection of information about a person’s usual type of accommodation where they lived prior to the start of their AOD treatment enables AOD services to identify people who may be vulnerable, such as those from custodial settings or people at risk of homelessness. This information may help identify people living in a public place or experiencing homelessness, supporting the ‘no exit to homelessness’ policy where agencies can only discharge a client to safe, stable housing (Department of Social Services 2020).

Usual accommodation type for the client prior to treatment is reported for selected jurisdictions: New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. As data quality improves additional jurisdictional data will be reported. The following analysis therefore includes 58% of all treatment episodes (139,746) nationally (Figure CLIENTS 6, Table OV.13). 

In 2023–24, treatment episodes reporting the usual accommodation type for AOD clients from selected states and territories revealed: 

• The most common accommodation prior to the start of treatment was independent residential accommodation (for example, private residence, boarding house, private hotel, or informal housing) which ranged from 46% in the Northern Territory to 90% in Western Australia.
• The Northern Territory reported the highest proportion of episodes with usual accommodation types as custodial (prison/remand centre/youth training centre) (23%) and supported independent living (20%).
• South Australia reported the highest proportion of episodes with usual accommodation types as none/homeless/public place (10%) (Figure CLIENTS 6, Table OV.13).