Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia for 2011–12

Of the treatment episodes closed in 2011–12, nearly all (96%) were for clients receiving treatment for their own drug use. Around two-thirds (68%) of these episodes were for male clients, while the reverse was true for episodes provided for someone else’s drug use (63% of these were for female clients).

Episodes for someone else’s drug use tended to be longer than those for the client’s own drug use. More than one-third (35%) of episodes for someone else’s drug use lasted 1–3months, while over half (53%) of episodes for the client’s own drug use ended within 1 month.

As in previous years, alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern (46%), followed by cannabis (22%), amphetamines (11%) and heroin (9%). Alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern in all states and territories, while cannabis was the second most common principal drug in all states and territories except South Australia, where amphetamines were more common.

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