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Amphetamine drug treatment doubles in Aust

The proportion of Australians seeking drug treatment due to amphetamine addiction has more than doubled from 11 per cent to 23 per cent, a new report shows.

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Source: AAP


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More Australians are undergoing treatment for drug use, with the number seeking help due to amphetamine addiction more than doubling.

A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on Wednesday shows that about 134,000 received drug treatment in 2015-16 - equating to around one in 180 people.

Alcohol remained the most common drug people sought treatment for, accounting for 32 per cent of all drug treatment episodes.

This is down from 46 per cent in 2011-12.

Over the same five-year period, the proportion seeking treatment for amphetamine use more than doubled from 11 per cent to 23 per cent.

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"The actual number of treatment episodes for amphetamines rose from around 16,900 in 2011-12 to 46,400 in 2015-16, a 175 per cent increase," said AIHW spokesman Mathew James.

The number of treatment episodes for cannabis was up by 40 per cent. Meanwhile, heroin and alcohol treatment episodes fell by 15 per cent and six per cent respectively.

Across most states and territories, alcohol was also the most common drug for which people sought treatment, but in South Australia and Western Australia, it was amphetamines, and in Queensland, it was cannabis.

More men sought help compared to women and over a quarter (28 per cent) of clients were aged 20 to 29.

Counselling continued to be the most common treatment type provided to clients.


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