Alcohol and illicit drug use are serious and complex issues that contribute to substantial illness, disease, injury, and deaths in Australia. Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease, injury and premature death. Illicit drug use can have severe health effects, including poisoning, mental illness, self-harm, suicide and death by accidental poisoning (overdose).

This report provides insight into the health impact of alcohol and illicit drug use in Australia, including as risk factors for other diseases and injuries. The health impact comprises fatal burden (for example, dying prematurely from Accidental poisoning) and non-fatal burden (for example, living with Alcohol dependence). The report revises and extends estimates previously published in the Australian Burden of Disease Study (ABDS) 2011 (AIHW 2016c).

This new analysis includes, for the first time, the impact of individual drugs and unsafe injecting practices on the Australian population and analysis by sub-national group. It also estimates the potential effect of alcohol and illicit drug use on disease burden in the Australian population over the next decade.