Are younger or older Australians more likely to receive treatment for amphetamine use?
Australians aged 30-39 years are more likely to receive treatment for amphetamine† use than other age groups, accounting for 39% of amphetamine-related treatment episodes.
In 2020-21, 3% of Australians who received treatment for amphetamine use were aged 10-19 years, 30% were aged 20-29 years, 39% were aged 30-39 years, 21% were aged 40-49 years, and 6% were aged 50+ years.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services in Australia 2020-21.
Please note: Percentages may not tally to 100% due to rounding.
† 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.