Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia annual report 2024–25

 In 2024–25, 513 publicly funded alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment agencies in New South Wales provided 47,437 treatment episodes to 27,928 clients (tables ST NSW.1, Agcy.1, SCR.21).

New South Wales reported:

• Client numbers were similar between 2023–24 and 2024–25 (27,536 to 27,928).
• The number of clients receiving AOD services between 2013–14 and 2024–25 remained stable, after adjusting for population growth (372 clients per 100,000 people compared with 369 per 100,000, respectively).
• The number of treatment episodes was similar between 2013–14 and 2024–25 (42,406 and 47,437, respectively), peaking in 2018–19 (52,563) (tables ST NSW.2, SCR.21).

In 2024–25:

• Most clients in New South Wales attended 1 agency for treatment (79%).
• Clients received an average of 1.7 treatment episodes, lower than the national average (1.9) (tables SCR.2, SCR.23).

Client demographics

In 2024–25:

• Nearly all (98%) clients received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use, of which 2 in 3 people were male (64%) (Figure NSW 1).
• Half (51%) of all clients were aged 30–49 years.
• 1 in 5 (22%) of all clients were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, consistent with the national proportion (19%).
• The majority (87%) of all clients were born in Australia and nearly all (98%) reported English as their preferred language (tables SCR NSW.1-4, SCR NSW.9-10, SC.5).

New and returning clients

In 2024–25 in New South Wales:

• 2 in 5 (41%, 11,135) of all clients were a new client, who had not previously received AOD treatment since 2013–14, when client reporting was enabled.
• 3 in 5 (59%, 16,297) of all clients were returning clients, who have previously received AOD treatment from a service at some point since 2013–14 (Table SCR.28).

Drugs of concern

In 2024–25:

• Among clients who received treatment episodes for their own alcohol or drug use (46,197 episodes):
  • Alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern (42%, 19,324 episodes).
  • Methamphetamine accounted for 1 in 4 episodes (23%, 10,579), followed by cannabis (13%, 6,207) (Figure NSW 2, Tables ST NSW.6).
• Where additional drugs of concern were reported, cannabis (13%) and nicotine (11%) were the most common additional drugs of concern (Figure NSW.2, Table ST NSW.7). 

Clients can nominate up to 5 additional drugs of concern; these drugs are not necessarily the subject of any treatment within the episode (see technical notes). 

In 2024–25, for clients who received treatment for their own use of methamphetamine (10,579 episodes), the most common method of use was smoking (53%), followed by injecting (36%) (Figure NSW 3, Table ST NSW.10).

 From 2015 –16 to 2019–20, the method of use (injecting or smoking) for the principal drug of concern was used to identify methamphetamine-related treatment episodes, this was due to data quality issues and limited coding options within some states and territories impacting reporting over this period.

Between 2015–16 and 2024–25:

• Alcohol remained the most common drug of concern, although there was variation in treatment episode numbers during this time, fluctuating from 17,174 to 19,324 over this period.
  • Alcohol treatment episodes increased from 37% of all treatment episodes in 2015–16 to 42% in 2024–25 (Figure NSW 2, Table ST NSW.6).
• Methamphetamine was the second most common principal drug of concern in 2024–25 (23%, 10,579 episodes). Numbers have been relatively stable since 2019–20, when reporting of methamphetamine became more consistent.
  • Methamphetamine treatment episodes ranged between 21% and 24% of all episodes since 2019–20.
• Cannabis was the third most common principal drug of concern, decreasing from 17% (7,951 episodes) to 13% (6,207) in 2024–25 (Figure NSW 2, Table ST NSW.6).

Treatment

In 2024–25, for treatment episodes in New South Wales (47,437):

• Counselling was the most common main treatment provided (35%), followed by support and case management (18%) and withdrawal management (14%).
• Where an additional treatment was provided, supplementary to the main treatment, ‘other’ treatment (17%) was the most common (Table ST NSW.13). See technical notes for further information on calculating proportions for additional treatment type.

Between 2015–16 to 2024–25:

• Counselling remained the most common treatment relative to other treatment types, rising from 31% (14,746) in 2015–16 to 42% (16,090) in 2016–17, before dropping to 35% (16,814) in 2024–25.
• The proportion of withdrawal management episodes has remained consistent between 2015–16 and 2024–25 from 14% (6,727) to 14% (6,604) (tables ST NSW.13, NSW.15).

Agencies

In 2024–25, in New South Wales:

• 3 in 5 (58%, 295) AOD agencies were government funded treatment agencies.
• 3 in 5 (60%) of the 513 publicly funded treatment services were located in Major cities, followed by Inner regional areas (32%).
• Agencies located in Major cities provided 70% of all treatment episodes.
• One treatment agency was located in Very remote areas. Less than 1% (14) of treatment episodes were provided in Remote and very remote areas (Figure NSW 5, tables Agcy.1, Agcy.3–4).

Between 2015–16 to 2024–25, the number of publicly funded treatment agencies in New South Wales rose from 286 to 513 (Table Agcy.1).