So, what's the current state of substance abuse, and why should I care?
Every year, use of illicit and non-illicit drugs contributes to a substantial amount of health issues for Australians. Despite the increases in awareness and funding available, the stigma around the reliance and over-use of these substances remains.
Annually, approximately 135,000 Australians are admitted to hospital with drug-associated health concerns (Penington Institute, 2024).
Reports estimate there are 1,900 alcohol associated deaths each year (AIHW, 2024) and another 2,356 from drug use (Penington Institute, 2024).
Trends for non-medical use of therapeutic drugs (which would otherwise be used as prescription/over-the-counter medicine) is an ongoing concern, not only in Australia but globally. Drug & alcohol treatment support centers have reported self-use of pharmaceuticals were a key concern, accounting for around 5.6% of treatment episodes (AIHW).
Annual social and economic-associated costs from alcohol and drug use is around $74.9B (Gadsten, Jan, Henderson, & Edwards, 2023). For workplaces, there are estimated costs of around $16B per year associated with lost productivity from alcohol and drug use. Reports of up to 75% of Australians using illicit drugs are employed (Australia Drug Testing, 2021) and using substances that impact their workplace performance.
Support Links
If you, or someone you know is struggling with alcohol and/or drug use, there is support available:
National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia. 2024
Gadsden T CM, Jan S, Henderson A, Edwards B. Updated social and economic costs of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in Australia, 2022/23. 2023