Drug abuse

ALTERNATIVE LABELS
Illicit drug use


Report

Minimising the harms from methamphetamine

Harmful methamphetamine use has become a serious and intractable health issue in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past 20 years. The paper begins by providing an overview of how methamphetamine is used, by whom and why, how big the market is, what the harms are...
Evaluation

The evaluation of Te Ara Oranga: the path to wellbeing

This publication presents the findings of the evaluation of a methamphetamine treatment programme.
Report

National Drug Strategy household survey 2019

This report presents key results from the 2019 National Drug Strategy household survey. It looks at people’s drug use throughout their lives and during the last 12 months, and examines how these patterns have changed over time.
Report

"Don't judge, and listen": Experiences of stigma and discrimination related to problematic alcohol and other drug use

This report is the outcome of research into the effect of stigma and discrimination on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a lived experience of alcohol and other drug use.
Evaluation

Review of the medically supervised injecting room

The Victorian government is trialling a medically supervised injecting room at the North Richmond Community Health site in Melbourne. The service was established for an initial two-year trial period, which will be extended for a further three years, based on the evidence gathered in the...
Report

Quantifying the social costs of pharmaceutical opioid misuse and illicit opioid use to Australia in 2015/16

In recent decades the range and patterns of opioids used for extra-medical purposes have changed. The use of pharmaceutical opioids exceeds the use of heroin. The objective of this report was to estimate the social costs arising from extra-medical opioid use in Australia for the...
Report

The feasibility and utility of using coded ambulance records for a violence surveillance system: a novel pilot study

The primary aim of this study was to pilot the use of coded ambulance clinical records for violence surveillance at the population level, similarly to work done in an established surveillance system of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and mental health-related harms.
Report

Is there fentanyl contamination in the Australian illicit drug market?

This research investigates fentanyl use among police detainees participating in the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program.
Report

The social supply of pharmaceutical opioids

This study explores the prevalence, predictors and nature of the ‘social supply’ of pharmaceutical opioids among police detainees.
Guide

Call to action: public libraries and the opioid crisis

As the impact of the opioid epidemic is felt in communities across the U.S., public libraries are engaging in community responses. For many libraries, however, the new and urgent demand created by this public health crisis is paired with uncertainty on how best to address...
Report

Methamphetamine dependence and domestic violence among police detainees

This study explores the relationship between methamphetamine dependence and domestic violence among male police detainees interviewed as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program. The results illustrate the importance of integrated responses that address the co-occurrence of substance use disorders and domestic violence.
Submission

Dalgarno Institute submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Communication Campaigns Targeting Drug and Substance Abuse

This document presents the Dalgarno Institute submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Communication Campaigns Targeting Drug and Substance Abuse.
Report

Public libraries respond to the opioid crisis with their communities: summary report

As the impact of the opioid epidemic is felt in communities across America, public libraries are choosing to be part of the community response. OCLC is sharing knowledge and resources that will help public libraries and their community partners develop effective strategies to address the...
Report

Substance and alcohol use data in the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)

This research was commissioned by the Health Promotion Agency / Te Hiringa Hauora (HPA) to understand and document what data on alcohol use is held within the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). This information will support alcohol and IDI researchers to make better use of the...
Case study

Public libraries respond to the opioid crisis with their communities: case studies

This report includes eight research-based case studies highlighting varying opioid response efforts across eight locations in the US.
Report

Australia’s annual overdose report 2019

This report reveals that unintentional overdose continues to be a significant cause of death in Australia. The continued growth in unintentional overdose deaths is linked to highly potent drugs, many of which are available through prescription, such as pharmaceutical opioids and benzodiazepines.
Report

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2017–18

In 2017–18, 952 publicly-funded alcohol and other drug treatment services provided just under 210,000 treatment episodes to an estimated 130,000 clients. The four most common drugs that led clients to seek treatment were alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis and heroin. Two-thirds (66%) of all clients receiving treatment...
Report

Drug use, stigma and the proactive contagions to reduce both

This publication provides an analysis of evidence and research pertaining to drug use dependency impacts and models for recovery that reduce stigma.
Journal article

"An exercise in careful diplomacy": talking about alcohol, drugs and family violence

This article will be useful to practitioners seeking to understand the sensitivities surrounding discussion of alcohol and drugs (AOD) in relation to domestic and family violence (DFV), and will assist them in navigating these sensitivities to improve service coordination and thus deliver better outcomes for...
Report

The opioid epidemic in North America: implications for Australia

The opioid epidemic in North America has attracted considerable international concern because of the scale of the problem and the high rate of overdose deaths. This paper highlights the importance of being vigilant about the potential for similar problems in Australia, and continuing to monitor...
Position paper

Drug policy and the deprivation of liberty

This report analyses the last thirty years of over-incarceration in closed settings, from prisons to migrant administrative detention and from mandatory treatment to private rehabilitation centers. The paper highlights the responsibility of the State towards people who are incarcerated, and demonstrates how their health and...
Submission

Developing principles to address the detrimental impact on health, equality and human rights of criminalization with a focus on select conduct in the areas of sexuality, reproduction, drug use and HIV

In this submission Amnesty International outlines the human rights impact of criminalizing sexuality and reproduction, and provides recommendations regarding developing principles to address the detrimental impact on health, equality and human rights of criminalization with a focus on select conduct in the areas of sexuality...
Report

How much fentanyl is available on the darknet?

This bulletin provides a snapshot of the sale and distribution of fentanyl and its analogues across several popular illicit darknet markets. Data collected daily from six darknet markets between 2 January and 23 February 2019 reveal the amount, types and physical forms of fentanyl available.