Impact of Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use on the Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia

This report quantifies the health impact that alcohol and illicit drug use place on Australia, including as risk factors for other diseases and injuries. It estimates that alcohol and illicit drugs were collectively responsible for 6.7% of Australia’s disease burden in 2011. The report highlights that health inequalities exist, with lower socioeconomic groups and more remote areas generally experiencing higher rates of disease burden due to alcohol and illicit drug use.

The report's findings include:

• Nearly 1 in every 20 deaths in 2011 were from alcohol and illicit drug use, equating to 6,660 deaths
• Alcohol use was responsible for around one-third of the burden of road traffic injuries
• The burden due to amphetamine use is projected to rise by 14% between 2011 and 2020
• 4.6% of all disease burden in Australia was from alcohol use alone, of which one-third was due to alcohol dependence