The Australian Burden of Disease Study (ABDS) 2011 quantified the health impact of alcohol and illicit drug use in Australia and showed they are two of the leading risk factors for ill health and death.
To update and extend estimates of disease burden due to alcohol and illicit drug use in the ABDS 2011 to include: estimates by drug type, analysis by subnational groups, and assess the potential impact on future health burden.
Comparative risk assessment methodology was used to estimate disease and injury burden attributable to alcohol and illicit drug use. A literature review identified causally linked diseases and corresponding effect sizes. Exposure was obtained from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Projections of burden in 2020 and 2025 were estimated on the assumption of current trends continuing.
Of the total health burden in Australia in 2011, 6.7% was due to alcohol and illicit drug use (9.1% for males and 3.8% for females). Of illicit drug use burden, 41% was due to opioid use, followed by amphetamines 18%, unsafe injecting practices 18%, cocaine 8% and cannabis 7%. The lowest socioeconomic group experienced rates of alcohol and illicit drug use burden that were 1.9 and 2.6 times those of the highest socioeconomic group, respectively.
This study demonstrates the impact of alcohol and illicit drug use on disease burden in the Australian population and 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.