In Australia, trends in drug use are primarily measured through two population surveys.1,2 These show alcohol, cannabis and tobacco to be the most commonly used drugs among adolescents. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that methamphetamine use has remained very low (2%) and stable among 14–19 year olds, with no rise in methamphetamine use overall in the population; however, there was a change in the main form, with crystal (“ice”) replacing powder.2
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- 1. White V, Bariola E. Australian secondary school students’ use of tobacco, alcohol, and over-the- counter and illicit substances in 2011. Report prepared for Drug Strategy Branch, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Melbourne: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 2012. http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/BCBF6B2C638E1202CA257ACD0020E35C/$File/National%20Report_FINAL_ASSAD_7.12.pdf (accessed Jan 2016).
- 2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National Drug Strategy Household Survey detailed report 2013 (AIHW Cat. No. PHE 183; Drug Statistics Series No. 28) Canberra: AIHW, 2014. http://www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs-2013 (accessed Jan 2016).
- 3. Arcuri A, Howard J. PALM StatsPack 2001-2005. Sydney: Ted Noffs Foundation, 2006.
- 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2012-13. (AIHW Cat. No. HSE 150; Drug Treatment Series No. 24) Canberra: AIHW, 2014. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129548206 (accessed Jan 2016).
- 5. Lawrinson P, Copeland J, Indig D. The brief treatment outcome measure: opioid maintenance pharmacotherapy (BTOM) manual. NDARC Technical Report No. 156. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 2003. https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/brief-treatment-outcome-measure-opioid-maintenance-pharmacotherapy-btom-manual (accessed Jan 2016).
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