This resource document collates various data sources that document trends in alcohol and other drug use and harm in Australia. We hope it will be useful.

Please click the links below for an executive summary of trends by substance type.

The main data sources used for this report are:

National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS)
Australian Secondary Students Survey of Alcohol and other Drugs (ASSAD)
Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS)
Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS)
Illicit Drug Data Report (IDDR)
National Minimum Data Set – Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia (NMDS - AODTS)
National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD)
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Causes of Death database
Seizure data from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

There is an important distinction between the general population surveys (data sources 1 and 2, for example) and those surveys of sentinel groups (such as 3 and 4). The interpretation of the general population data differs from that of the sentinel group data. Sentinel groups are chosen precisely because they engage in illicit drug use and are likely to have knowledge about market characteristics. Sentinel groups cannot tell us about general population prevalence but are vital in describing harms and changing patterns of consumption within the drug-using population itself.

Within each drug, we provide data (where available) on:

Prevalence of past year use over time among the general population.
Prevalence of past six-month use over time among sentinel groups of drug users in Australia that are monitored by the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS).
Trends in frequency of use among the general population and sentinel groups.
Numbers seeking treatment.
Indicators of drug-related harm using mortality and hospital admissions.
Law enforcement activity (arrests and seizures) for illicit drugs.
Market indicators, including user reports of availability, price and purity.

We sought consistent, high-quality indicators with reliable data over a number of years. In addition, we used national data wherever possible. Some indicators, such as ambulance callouts, are available but not nationally consistent. Therefore, we did not include these.

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