Abstract

Objectives: To characterise trends in self-poisoning and psychotropic medicine use in young Australians.

Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting Calls taken by the New South Wales and Victorian Poisons Information Centres (2006–2016, accounting for 70% of Australian poisoning calls); medicine dispensings in the 10% sample of Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data (July 2012 to June 2016).

Participants: People aged 5–19 years.

Main outcome measures: Yearly trends in intentional poisoning exposure calls, substances taken in intentional...

Wastewater analysis is widely applied internationally as a tool to measure and interpret drug
use within national populations, with the current national program in Australia representing world best practice. 

The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report provides statistically valid datasets of drug use and distribution patterns across a large number of sites in capital cities and regional areas across Australia.

Some of the key findings:

• Capital city cocaineand heroin average consumption exceeded regional consumption.
• Alcohol and nicotine are the most consumed substances...

Digital health information about the risks of drugs is available through the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) website. The searchable online database, Drug Facts, features information about a range of substances which may pose harm including controlled substances, those protected under religious rights, over the counter and prescription medications. 

Searchable by "street name" as well as by common effect, the database offers information on the effects of different substances, the risks they pose to physical and mental wellbeing in the long and short term, withdrawal and how...

There has been a steady decline in alcohol consumption in Australia over the past decade. It is important to understand what is encouraging individuals to change their drinking behaviour so as to support the maintenance of these positive trends into the future

A recent study, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, has analysed drinking patterns across different age groups and sexes in Australia. Data, from Australia’s National Drug Strategy Household Survey, was collected every three years from 2001 to 2013. 

Results of the study show that young adults aged between 24 and 29 were the...