Alcohol, other drugs and gambling

Harmful alcohol and other drug use in Australia represents a significant public health concern, with wide-ranging social, economic, and health implications.

Despite extensive efforts to address this issue, it remains a persistent challenge affecting individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Not all alcohol and drug use results in dependence or causes serious issues. In this context, we use the terminology “alcohol and drug misuse” to refer to substance use which incurs harm.

Some of the harm that can be associated with alcohol and drug misuse for individuals includes impacts on health and wellbeing, relationships, employment, and education. For the community, some of the harm from alcohol and drug misuse can include increased contact with the justice system, disease and injury, road accidents, and the exacerbation of mental ill-health and family and domestic violence.

Alcohol and other drug-related harm is both a driver and result of other forms of disadvantage. Often a person experiencing alcohol or other drug-related harm is also experiencing multiple disadvantages at once. Substance use itself can be disruptive to the brain, making it harder to change behaviour — even if a person wants to.

According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, in 2022-23 around 47 per cent of Australians aged 14 and over had used a non-prescribed drug at some point in their life (including pharmaceuticals used for non-medical purposes) and 16.4 per cent had used one in the last 12 months.

It is also estimated that around one in 20 Australians have lived experience of alcohol or drug misuse.