How many Australians are hospitalised each year due to cocaine use?

In 2019-20 there were 1,275 hospital separations due to the use of cocaine; this corresponds to a crude rate of 5 cocaine-related hospitalisations per 100,000 population.

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2022). Alcohol, tobacco & other drugs in Australia. (AIHW analysis of the National Mortality Database)

Hospital Separation: An episode of care for an admitted patient, which can be:

  •  a total hospital stay (from admission to discharge, transfer or death); or
  • a portion of a hospital stay beginning or ending in a change of type of care (for example, from acute to rehabilitation).

Separation also means the process by which an admitted patient completes an episode of care either by being discharged, transferring to another hospital, changing type of care, or dying.