Drugs of concern

In 2017–18, for clients receiving treatment episodes for their own drug use:

  • alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern for clients in the Australian Capital Territory (43% of episodes) (Figure 26; Tables SE ACT.10)
  • amphetamines were also common as a principal drug, accounting for just under one-quarter (24%), followed by cannabis (13%), and heroin (8%).

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).

When the client reported additional drugs of concern:

  • nicotine and cannabis were the most common additional drug (both 17% of episodes), followed alcohol (10%), and amphetamines (9%) (Table SE ACT.11).

Over the period 2013–14 to 2017–18:

  • alcohol remained the most common principal drug of concern in episodes provided to clients, falling to 42% in 2015–16, then rising to 43% in 2017–18 (Table SE ACT.10)
  • amphetamines became the second most common principal drug of concern in Australian Capital Territory in 2014–15; increasing from 15% in 2013–14 to 25% in 2016–17, then falling to 24% in 2017–18
  • the proportion of closed episodes for cannabis as the principal drug of concern has steadily declined from
    2013–14 (18% to 13%)
  • the proportion of closed episodes for heroin as a principal drug of concern over the period, was higher than the national rate (ranging from 11% to 8% in ACT; compared with 7% to 5% nationally) (Table SD.2).
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