Alcohol & other drugs services in Victoria
Treatment & support

Victorian drug statistics handbook - Patterns of drug use & related harm in Victoria

Introduction

On behalf of the Department of Health, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre produces an annual Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook. The first edition of the Handbook was compiled from 1999 data, which has been updated and built upon in subsequent editions.

The aim of the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook is to describe the major patterns of drug use and associated harm experienced in Victoria. This is achieved by collating information from an extensive range of existing data sources and condensing it into an easily readable format.

The data sources used in the Handbook include:

• population surveys such as the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, National Health Survey and the Victorian School Students and Drug Use Survey;
  
  
• routinely collected databases such as ABS Mortality data, Law Enforcement Assistance Program data, Metropolitan Ambulance Service data, Victorian Admitted Episode Database and the Alcohol and Drug Information System; and
  
  
• other data sources such as the Illicit Drug Reporting System, the Illicit Drug Report and the Clients of Treatment Service Agencies Census.

The substances covered in the Handbook are:

• alcohol
• amphetamines and other stimulants
• benzodiazepines and other minor tranquillisers
• cannabis
• hallucinogens
• heroin and opioids
• inhalants
• steroids, and
• tobacco.

The handbook provides a comprehensive picture of the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use in Victoria along with the harms associated with the use of all drugs.

Ambulance attendances, hospital admissions, road traffic accidents, violence associated with alcohol use, health problems and deaths associated with alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as well as drug-related crime are documented. In the 2002 edition global and national comparisons are also provided at the end of each chapter.

Current handbook

 Summary of the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2009 to June 2010 - Report Number 13

 The Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2009 to June 2010 - Report Number 13

Previous editions

 Summary of the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2008 to June 2009 - Report Number 12

 The Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2008 to June 2009 - Report Number 12

 Summary of the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2007 to June 2008 - Report Number 11

 The Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2007 to June 2008 - Report Number 11

 Summary of the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2006 to June 2007 - Report Number 10

 Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook: Patterns of drug use and related harm in Victoria for the period July 2006 to June 2007 - Report Number 10

 2007 Victorian drug statistics handbook summary

 2007 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2006 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2005 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2004 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2003 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2002 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2001 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 2000 Victorian drug statistics handbook

 1999 Victorian drug statistics handbook