Alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances

Introduction

The use of alcohol and other drugs can lead to severe, acute harms that may require emergency care by a paramedic (for example, drug overdose). Ambulance attendance data, recorded by paramedics, can provide useful information about alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances, including patient demographics, location and information about the drugs they received care for.

This page focuses on the characteristics of alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances, using administrative data collected by ambulance services across Australia. For additional geographic data on alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances by state and territory and Primary Health Network, see also:

• State and territory data
• Data tables: National Ambulance Surveillance System.
  
  

What data sources are available?

Data on alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances are sourced from the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS), which is a partnership between Turning Point at Monash University and ambulance services in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory (Turning Point, Eastern Health 2025). The NASS provides information on ambulance attendances for alcohol and other drug use, mental health, suicide and self-harm, and violence across these jurisdictions.

Drug involvement is established based on clinical assessment by paramedics, patient self-report and information provided by another person or evidence at the scene (for example, family). While all drug-related ambulance attendances have alcohol and other drug use recorded as a contributing factor, this may not be the primary reason for the attendance. In addition, the same attendance may relate to the ingestion of one or several drugs, including alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs and illicit drugs.

For more information about the NASS, see Technical notes.

How many alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances are there in Australia?

There were around 177,000 alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances in 2024 among all people in Australia (excluding Western Australia and South Australia), a rate of 793 per 100,000 people (Table NASS3). 

The number and rate of attendances fell from 169,000 (802 per 100,000 people) in 2021 to 160,000 (747 per 100,000) in 2022, before rising to 180,000 (823 per 100,000 population) in 2023. The decrease in attendances between 2023 and 2024 is due mainly to industrial action by paramedics in Victoria in 2024 (around 32,400 attendances were captured in Victoria in 2024, compared to around 51,400 in 2023). Attendances in most other states increased during the same period (Table NASS3).

Monthly data, which are reported only for people aged 15 and over, indicate that the number of ambulance attendances has fluctuated between January 2021 and December 2024 (Table NASS2, Figure 1). The highest numbers of attendances are typically recorded around December each year, largely driven by seasonal variation in the number of alcohol-related attendances.

Who is most likely to be involved in alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances?

Between 2021 and 2024, across jurisdictions with available data, most alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances among people aged 15 and over were for males (tables NASS2 and NASS3, Figure 2). 

Between 2021 and 2023, the highest numbers of attendances were for people aged 15–24 and 25–34. In 2024, the highest numbers of attendances were for people aged 25–34 and 55 and over (around 35,700 and 35,200, respectively). However, people aged 15–24 consistently had the highest rate of attendances between 2021 and 2024 (1,203 attendances per 100,000 people in 2024) (Table NASS3).

The demographic profile of ambulance attendances varied by age, sex and drug type:

• The number of attendances among females was highest for those aged 15–24 and 25–34, while among males this was generally highest for people aged 35–44 and 55 and over.
• Among people aged 15–24, females consistently had a higher number of total attendances than males each year (17,900 compared to 16,100 in 2024), which was largely driven by females having a higher number of pharmaceutical attendances (around 5,400 compared to around 2,800 in 2024). For all other age groups, males consistently had a higher number of total attendances than females.
• Across all age groups, ambulance attendances for any pharmaceutical drugs were predominantly for females while most attendances for illicit drugs were for males (tables NASS2 and NASS3, Figure 2).

What drugs are present in ambulance attendances?

Between 2021 and 2024, for the 6 jurisdictions where alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendance data are available:

• Around 3 in 5 attendances involved alcohol intoxication (ranging from 56–58% in each year).
• The highest number (and rate) of ambulance attendances were those for alcohol intoxication, with lower attendances for all other drugs (Table NASS1, Figure 1).

Ambulance attendances involving multiple drugs

Almost 1 in 5 (19% or 33,700) alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances in 2024 involved multiple drugs. Multiple drug involvement was more common among:

• attendances for people in younger age groups, ranging from 11% among people aged 55 and over to 25% among those aged 15–24
• attendances that involved ecstasy (76% of ecstasy-related attendances), benzodiazepines (72%), or antidepressants (72%) (Table NASS5).

Multiple drug involvement was least common for attendances involving alcohol (17% of attendances in 2024).

Between 2021 and 2024, the proportion of ambulance attendances where multiple drugs were involved varied by drug type, sex, and age group, but has remained relatively stable overall (Table NASS5, Figure 3).

Ambulance attendances resulting in transport to hospital

In 2024, 4 in 5 (80%) of all alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances involved the patient being transported to hospital (Table NASS5, Figure 3). The proportion of ambulance attendances where the patient was transported to hospital was similar across all age groups (between 79% and 82%). The proportion of ambulance attendances where patients were transported to hospital varied between drug types:

• Ambulance attendances involving pharmaceutical drugs had the highest proportions of transport to hospital, including antidepressants (93% of attendances), benzodiazepines (88%), and pharmaceutical opioids (88%).
• 2 in 3 (67%) heroin attendances involved transport to hospital, the lowest of any drug type (Table NASS5, Figure 3).

Between 2021 and 2024, for jurisdictions with available data, the proportion of ambulance attendances where transport to hospital was involved varied by drug type, sex, and age group, but has remained relatively stable overall (Table NASS5).

Ambulance attendances with police co-attendance

In 2024, 3 in 10 (30% or 52,400) alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances involved police co-attendance. Police co-attendance varied by age, sex and drug type:

• The proportion of ambulance attendances where police co-attended were highest among people aged 25–34 (36% of attendances) and lowest among people aged 55 and over (18%).
• The drugs with the highest proportions of ambulance attendances that involved transport to hospital were gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) (41% of attendances) and amphetamines (40% of attendances) (Table NASS5, Figure 3).

Between 2021 and 2024, for jurisdictions with available data, the proportion of ambulance attendances where police co-attended varied by drug type, sex, and age group, but has remained relatively stable overall (Table NASS5).

Do ambulance attendances vary by geographic area?

Rates of alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances differ across states and territories, and the profile of drug involvement also varies (tables NASS1–NASS4).

Detailed information on ambulance attendances involving alcohol and other drugs in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory is available in State and territory data.

Alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances also vary across the Primary Health Networks (tables NASS6–NASS8).

Where do I go for more information?

• Ambulance attendances: Suicidal ideation, and suicidal and self-harm behaviours
• The National Ambulance Surveillance System