Health and harms
Health and harms
Explore content on health and harms related to alcohol and other drugs, including injuries, ambulance attendances, hospitalisations, deaths and harms to the community.
Explore content on health and harms related to alcohol and other drugs, including injuries, ambulance attendances, hospitalisations, deaths and harms to the community.
Key findings
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Tobacco and alcohol use are among the leading risk factors for the disease burden in Australia, contributing to a range of health conditions including cancers
Source: Australian Burden of Disease Study -
The number of alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances has overall risen between 2021 and 2024 in most jurisdictions
Source: AIHW analysis of the National Ambulance Surveillance System for Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse and Overdose -
Updated
Alcohol intoxication contributed to around 3 in 5 alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances every year between 2021 and 2024
Source: AIHW analysis of the National Ambulance Surveillance System for Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse and Overdose -
There were around 146,000 hospitalisations due to alcohol and other drugs in 2023–24, representing 1.2% of all hospitalisations
Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database -
Updated
Alcohol-induced and drug-induced deaths in 2024
There are more deaths involving alcohol than any other drug
Source: AIHW National Mortality Database; Causes of Death, Australia -
15%
In 2022–2023, almost 1 in 7 people who had recently consumed alcohol took part in at least one risky activity while under the influence of alcohol
Source: National Drug Strategy Household Survey