Alcohol and other drug use and treatment among Australians aged 45 years and over

1
Alcohol and other drug use and treatment among
Australians aged 45 years and over

• Priscilla DowlingChrysanthe Psychogios AIHW

2
Todays presentation

• Focus on drug use and treatment for Australians
  aged 45 years and over

• Trends in drug use 19912004
• 2004 patterns of drug use
• Patterns of use of treatment services

3
Population ageing

• ABS estimate
• Proportion of Australians aged 50
• 29 (5.7m) in 2002
• 4650 (11.514.3m) in 2051

4
National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS)

• Survey years 1985 1988 1991 1993 1995 1998
  2001 2004
• 19852001 Population aged 14
• 2004 Population aged 12

5
2004 NDSHS

• 8th conducted under auspices of National Drug
  Strategy
• 3rd NDSHS managed by AIHW
• Sample size 29,400
• Funded by Australian Government Department of
  Health Ageing Queensland Health

6
Consumption patterns 19912004

• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Any illicit drug
• Marijuana/cannabis
• Other illicit drugs

7
Tobacco consumption patterns 19912004

• Daily tobacco smoking rates have declined
• People aged 45 were less likely to smoke daily
• Females aged 45 were less likely to smoke daily
  compared with males of the same age

8
TobaccoDaily smokers 19912004
9
Daily smokers aged 4519912004
10
Tobacco Australians 45
11
Alcohol consumption patterns 19912004

• Overall, consumption patterns have remained
  relatively stable
• Similar proportions of people aged 1444 and 45
  consumed alcohol (75)
• People aged 45 were more likely to consume
  alcohol daily

12
Total drinkers 19912004
13
Daily drinkers 19912004
14
Alcohol Australians 45
15
Illicit drug use 19932004

• Recent use of any illicit drug generally
  declined or remained stable
• Persons aged 45 were less likely to have
  recently used an illicit drug
• Males aged 45 slightly more likely to have
  recently used an illicit drug compared with
  females of the same age

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Illicit drugs (2004)

• Marijuana/cannabis, Heroin, Methadone
  (non-maintenance), Other opiates/opioids,
  Cocaine, Synthetic hallucinogens, Ecstasy,
  Ketamine, GHB, Injected drugs.
• For non-medical purposes Pain-killers/analgesics,
  Tranquillisers/sleeping pills, Steroids,
  Barbiturates, Meth/amphetamines (speed)
• Inappropriate use Inhalants, Naturally occurring
  hallucinogens

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Recent use of any illicit drug 19932004
18
Marijuana/cannabis use 19932004

• Recent use of marijuana/cannabis declined
• Persons aged 45 were less likely to have
  recently used marijuana/cannabis
• Males aged 45 more likely to have recently used
  marijuana/cannabis compared with females of the
  same age

19
Pain-killers/analgesics use 19932004

• Recent use of pain-killers analgesics for
  non-medical purposes stable
• People aged 45 were less likely to have recently
  used pain-killers/analgesics for non-medical
  purposes
• Similar proportions of males and females aged 45
  had recently used pain-killers/analgesics for
  non-medical purposes

20
Tranquillisers/sleeping pills use 19932004

• Recent use of tranquillisers/sleeping pills for
  non-medical use stable
• People aged 45 were less likely to have recently
  used tranquillisers/sleeping pills for
  non-medical purposes
• Similar proportions of males and females aged 45
  had recently used tranquillisers/sleeping pills
  for non-medical purposes

21
Consumption patterns 2004

• Tobacco
• Alcohol, long term and short term risk
• Any illicit drug
• Marijuana/cannabis
• Other illicit drugs

22
2004 NDSHS results recent use
23
Tobacco smoking status 2004
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Alcohol consumption 2004
25
Daily drinkers aged 45 2004
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Alcohol risk of harm in the long term 2004

• 8 of Australians aged 45 risky or high risk for
  long-term harm
• Australians aged 45 less likely to drink at high
  risk levels
• 73 of Australians aged 45 consumed at low risk
  levels for long term harm (77 males, 69 females)

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Alcohol risk of harm in the short term 2004

• Higher prevalence than long-term risk for all
  ages
• 20 of people aged 45 at risk of harm in the
  short term at least once in the past 12 months
• 6 of people aged 45 at risk of harm on a
  monthly basis (8 males, 4 females)

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Recent use of any illicit drug 2004
29
Recent use of marijuana/cannabis 2004
30
Recent use of pain-killers/analgesics for
non-medical purposes 2004
31
Recent use of tranquillisers/sleeping pills for
non-medical purposes 2004
32
Recent use of meth/amphetamines for non-medical
purposes 2004
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The future

• Overall, daily smoking rates have declined a
  little more sharply for males than females
• Alcohol consumption stable
• Use of illicit drugs has declined or remained
  stable

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The future (cont)

• Different birth cohorts different exposures to
  alcohol and other drugs

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Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services
National Minimum Data Set (AODTS-NMDS)
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What is the AODTS-NMDS collection?

• Nationally agreed set of common data items
• collected by all publicly funded government and
  non-government agencies that provide specialist
  alcohol and other drug treatment
• for clients registered for alcohol and other drug
  treatment.
• The NMDS enables the compilation of data from a
  wide range of agencies and the 9 Australian
  jurisdictions into a single framework, and a
  conceptually consistent national collection.

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Objectives of the AODTS-NMDS

• Assist in monitoring and evaluating key
  objectives of the National Drug Strategy.
• Provide ongoing information on the demographics
  of clients who use these services, the treatment
  they receive and administrative information about
  the agencies that provide AODT services.

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What is a closed treatment episode?

• The counting unit of the AODTS-NMDS is a closed
  treatment episode (CTE).
• A CTE refers to a period of contact, with defined
  dates of commencement and cessation, between a
  client and a treatment agency.
• A CTE may be for a specific treatment, or for a
  specific part of a long-term treatment plan.
• The AODTS-NMDS is not able to estimate the number
  of individuals accessing AODT services.

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Caveats to 2002-03 data

• Queensland data are only for government AODTS
  agencies and the police diversion process
• Tasmanian data do not include information about
  police and court diversions
• The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
  Islander people in AODTS an underestimate

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Client profile in 2002-03
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Client type, sex and 45
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Principal drug of concern profile

• Overall common principal drugs of concern to
  clients (CTEs)
• Alcohol 38
• Cannabis 22
• Heroin 18
• Amphetamines 11

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Principal drug and age
44
Principal drug and 45
45
Principal drug and 45
Per cent
12
Nicotine
10
8
6
Benzodiazepines
4
Heroin
2
Cannabis
Amphetamines
0
Methadone
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65
Age group
46
Alcohol, age and sex
47
Benzodiazepines, age and sex..
48
Nicotine, age and sex..
49
Amphetamines, age and sex..
50
Source of referral and age
51
Source of referral and 45
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Treatment programs profile

• Overall common treatment types provided to
  clients (CTEs)
• Counselling 42
• Withdrawal management 19
• Assessment only 13

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Treatment type and age
54
Treatment type, alcohol and age
55
Treatment type, cannabis and age
56
Treatment type, benzodiazepines age
57
Treatment type, nicotine and age
58
Treatment type, heroin and age
59
Treatment type, amphetamines and age
60
Accessing information and data from the National
Drug Strategy Household Survey and the Alcohol
and Other Drug Treatment Services National
Minimum Data Set

• www.aihw.gov.au/drugs