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Report of the
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
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Report of the
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
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| Note: | |
| Source: |
NSW Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Minimum Dataset (AODTS-NSWMDS) Data Collection 2004-05 |
In relation to drug and alcohol treatment services, 'closed treatment episodes' refer to a period of contact, with defined start and end dates, between a client and a treatment agency. A closed treatment episode may be for a specific treatment, such as information and education only, that is not part of a larger treatment plan; or it may be for a specific treatment, such as withdrawal management (detoxification), that is part of a long-term treatment plan. The AODTS-NSWMDS collection excludes agencies whose sole purpose is to prescribe and/or dose for methadone or other opioid pharmacotherapies. Therefore, the collection excludes many clients receiving treatment for heroin use.
In NSW in 2004-05, the proportion of closed treatment episodes involving clients who identified as being of Aboriginal origin was similar to the Australian figure of 10%. This was significantly higher than the overall proportion of Aboriginal people in the total NSW population aged 10 years and over (2.1%; ABS, 2004). Of the 44,573 closed treatment episodes in NSW in 2004-05, 4,328 (9.7%) involved clients identified as being Aboriginal. This proportion represents an increase of 36.6% since 2001-2002 when Aboriginal clients accounted for 7.1% of client treatment episodes. This increase may in part relate to improved identification of Aboriginality in the relevant dataset.
In NSW, the proportion of treatment episodes involving Aboriginal people reporting alcohol as their principal drug of concern (40.5%) was similar to other Australian clients (39.6%). Nationally, treatment episodes for clients identifying as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin were more likely to involve alcohol as the principal drug of concern (43%) than those for other Australian clients (37%) (AIHW, 2006).
Treatment episodes involving Aboriginal clients reporting amphetamines and cannabis as their principal drug of concern were slightly higher compared to non-Aboriginal clients, 12.6% compared to 11.2% and 19.0% compared to 16.9% respectively. In contrast, treatment episodes where heroin was reported principal drug of concern were lower for Aboriginal clients, accounting for 17.7% of closed episodes compared to 18.1% for non-Aboriginal clients.
These figures need to be interpreted with caution because Aboriginality is 'not stated' for many records in the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Dataset, and because most dedicated Aboriginal substance use services are not included in the dataset.
| For more information: |
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia: findings from the National Minimum Data Set 2004-05. Bulletin no. 44. AIHW cat. no. AUS 81. Canberra: AIHW, 2006 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Alcohol and other drug treatment services in New South Wales 2004-05: Findings from the national minimum data set. Canberra: AIHW, 2006. Available at http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10331 |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser, a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text) is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen using free software. |
| Downloadable files: | The data contained in the table on this page are available for download as a CSV file which can be imported into many software packages. The graph is available for download as an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file and as an EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) file. Files in these formats can be imported into most word processing, presentation and graphics software packages. |
| Copyright notice: | This work is copyright NSW Department of Health, 2006. It may be reproduced in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited. |
| Suggested citation: | Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney: NSW Department of Health. Available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/atsi/atsi_drg_epi.htm. Accessed (insert date of access). |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 23 October 2006 |
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