Summary

In the Northern Territory (NT) in 2007–08, 20 government-funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies provided 3,712 treatment episodes. This represented 1 extra treatment agency and around 1,200 additional treatment episodes compared to 2006–07.

The median age of persons receiving treatment for their own drug use was the same as 2006–07 (32 years). The median age of people seeking treatment in relation to someone else’s drug use decreased from 36 years in 2006–07 to 32 years in 2007–08.

Alcohol accounted for an even larger majority of treatment episodes this year (73% compared to 63% in 2006–07). Cannabis was again the second most common principal drug of concern (10%), followed by opioids (9%, with morphine accounting for 7% of all principal drugs of concern).

The most common form of main treatment provided was assessment only (33% of episodes), followed by counselling (21%), withdrawal management (detoxification) (15%) and rehabilitation (12%). Counselling decreased from 29% of episodes in 2006–07; withdrawal management increased as a proportion of treatment episodes.