Summary
In Victoria in 2007–08, 138 publicly funded alcohol and other drug treatment agencies and outlets provided 47,538 treatment episodes. This represented an increase of 2 agencies and a decrease of around 1000 treatment episodes compared to 2006–07. The median age of persons receiving treatment for their own drug use and those seeking treatment for someone else’s drug use was similar to 2006–07 (31 years and 32 years respectively).
Alcohol (44%), cannabis (22%), opioids (16%, with heroin alone accounting for 15%) and amphetamines (8%) were again the most common principal drugs of concern.
Counselling was the most common form of main treatment provided (accounting for 47% of episodes compared to 49% in 2006–07), followed by withdrawal management (detoxification) (21%) and support and case management only (13%).