Alcohol and Drug use in rural and regional Australia: new report

Colleagues interested in the intersection of alcohol and drug use/abuse with rural, regional and remote contexts might be interested in a publication from The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare entitled ‘Alcohol and other drug use in regional and remote Australia: consumption, harms and access to treatment 2016–17’.

The report’s summary (pp. v-vi) notes that:

• People living in Regional and remote areas of Australia were more likely than people living in Major cities to have consumed alcohol at quantities that placed them at risk of harm from an alcohol-related disease or injury
• Levels of recent drug use were similar between remoteness areas, however the type of illicit drug used varied
• The burden of drug and alcohol use increases with remoteness
• Higher rates of alcohol and other drug treatment outside of Major cities
• Clients who sought treatment in Regional and remote areas were more likely than clients in Major cities to travel 1 hour or longer to treatment services

Citation:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Alcohol and other drug use in regional and remote Australia: consumption, harms and access to treatment, 2016–17. Cat. no. HSE 212. Canberra: AIHW.