Overview of Alcohol and Other Drugs
Australia has a range of strategies and advisory structures which shape the country’s responses to alcohol and other drug problems. An outline of these appears below.
Key strategies and frameworks
The National Drug Strategy 2017–2026
Australia’s Drug Strategy provides the national framework which identifies national priorities relating to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and guides action by governments in partnership with service providers and the community. The Strategy also outlines a national commitment to harm minimisation through balanced adoption of effective demand, supply and harm reduction strategies. The National Drug Strategy provides a framework for a coordinated approach to alcohol and other drug issues in Australia. The focus on coordination has been a feature of Australian drug policy since the launch of the initial drug strategy, the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse in 1985.
The aim of the Strategy is to build safe, healthy and resilient Australian communities through preventing and minimising alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related health, social, cultural and economic harms among individuals, families and communities.
The Strategy is available here.
National Framework for Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Treatment 2019–29
This Framework aims to ensure that all Australians seeking alcohol and other drug treatment can access high quality treatment appropriate to their needs, when and where they need it. It includes principles for effective treatment, monitoring and evaluation.
The Framework is available here.
National Quality Framework for Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services
The National Quality Framework sets a nationally consistent quality benchmark which consumers can expect from treatment providers.
The Framework is available here.
National Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Development Strategy 2015–2018
This Strategy aims to improve the skills of the alcohol and other drug (AOD) workforce and prepare them for the future.
The Strategy is available here.
National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Strategic Action Plan 2018–2028
This Plan aims to reduce the incidence and impact of FASD in Australia. This will improve the quality of life for people living with FASD. The Plan identifies 4 national priorities.
The Action Plan is available here.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Drug Strategy 2014–2019
The goal of the Strategy is to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by preventing and reducing the harmful effects of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) on individuals, families, and their communities.
The Strategy is available here.
National Ice Action Strategy 2015
This Strategy aims to prevent people from using ice, help those who are using ice to stop and to reduce the harms that ice is causing to users and the community.
The Strategy is available here.
National Alcohol Strategy 2019–2028
This Strategy aims to prevent and minimise alcohol-related harms among individuals, families and communities by:
- Identifying agreed national priority areas of focus and policy options
- Promoting and facilitating collaboration, partnership and commitment from the government and non-government sectors
- Targeting a 10% reduction in harmful alcohol consumption that puts people at risk of disease of injury.
The Strategy is available here.
National Tobacco Strategy 2012–2018
The National Tobacco Strategy:
- Aims to improve the health of Australians by reducing smoking rates
- Highlights the health, social and economic problems caused by tobacco
- Sets out 9 priority areas for action.
The Strategy is available here.
Advisory Structures / Research Centres
The National Drug Strategy relies on a balanced and coordinated approach by the health and law enforcement sectors. This is facilitated through the governance and advisory structures.
Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ANACAD)
The Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ANACAD):
- Reports directly to the Minister responsible for drugs and alcohol policy within the Health portfolio
- Provides confidential advice to the Minister on current and emerging drug and alcohol issues
More information about ANACAD is available here.
National Drug Research Centres
Research into alcohol and other drug issues is undertaken to continue to be undertaken by the four national research centres:
- The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW
- The National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University
- The National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University
- The Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research (CYSAR) at the University of Queensland.
- National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs.
Other Resources
For further information regarding approaches to alcohol and other drug problems in Australia and related information see: