Home Knowledgebase Methamphetamine Treatment Are men or women in Australia more likely to receive treatment for amphetamine use?

Are men or women in Australia more likely to receive treatment for amphetamine use?

Australian men account for a larger proportion of treatment episodes for amphetamine^† use than women (64% vs 36%).

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in Australia 2020-21.

† Amphetamines are Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants that increase neurotransmitter activity. Methamphetamine is a more potent form of amphetamine. The National Minimum Data Set does not provide data on methamphetamine use alone. Instead, treatment episodes due to methamphetamine use are subsumed within ‘amphetamines’. This category includes amphetamine, dexamphetamine, methamphetamine, amphetamine analogues, and amphetamines not elsewhere classified.

Treatment Episode: A period of contact between a client and a treatment provider. Only ‘closed’ treatment episodes are included in the data used here. An episode is closed if there is a change in the principal drug of concern, main treatment, or service delivery setting; if the treatment ends; or if the patient is imprisoned or dies.