Northern Territory

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Overview Client demographics Drugs of concern Treatment Agencies

In 2022–23, 24 publicly funded alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment agencies in the Northern Territory provided 5,475 treatment episodes to 3,066 clients (tables Agcy.1–2, SCR.21). 

The Northern Territory reported:

  • Client numbers increased from 2,870 in 2013–14 to 3,776 in 2019–20 then dropped to 3,066 in 2022–23.
  • More clients are accessing AOD services in 2022–23 than 2013–14, after adjusting for population growth (1,424 clients per 100,000 people compared with 1,397 per 100,000, respectively) (Table SCR.21).
  • An 8% decrease in treatment episodes from 5,953 in 2021–22 to 5,475 in 2022–23, but a 25% increase in treatment episodes since 2013–14 (4,377) (Table ST NT.2).

Northern Territory, 2022–23

The visualisation shows that 5,475 treatment episodes were provided to 3,066 clients in the Northern Territory in 2022–23. This equates to a rate of 2,542 episodes and 1,424 clients per 100,000 population, which is higher than the national rate (1,017 episodes and 568 clients per 100,000 population).

In 2022–23, most (81%) clients in the Northern Territory attended 1 agency, and received an average of 1.8 treatment episodes, which is the same as the national average of 1.8 treatment episodes (tables SCR.21, SCR.23).

Client demographics

In 2022–23:

  • Most (93%) clients in the Northern Territory received treatment for their own alcohol or drug use, of which over 7 in 10 (73%) people were male (Figure NT 1)
  • People who received treatment for someone else’s alcohol or drug use were more likely to be female (66%).
  • Over half (54%) of all people were aged 20–39 years, and 12% of people were aged 10–19 years which is higher the national proportion (9.3%).
  • 7 in 10 (70%) of all clients were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, more than 4 times higher than the national proportion (18%).
  • Nearly all (95%) people were born in Australia and over 3 in 5 (60%) reported English as their preferred language, with nearly 1 in 3 (31%) reporting Indigenous languages as their preferred language (tables SC NT.1–3, SC.3–4, SC NT.21–22).

Figure NT 1: AODTS clients by client type and selected demographics, Northern Territory, 2022–23

The visualisation includes a series of horizontal bar graphs showing that, in 2022–23 in the Northern Territory, over two-thirds (71%) of all clients were male, 54% were aged 20–39 and 70% were Fist Nations people. Around 3 in 5 (60%) listed English as their preferred language and most (95%) were born in Australia.

New and returning clients

In 2022–23:

  • Over half (58% or 1,742) of all clients in Northern Territory were returning clients, who have previously received AOD treatment from a service at some point since 2013–14. 
  • Over 2 in 5 (42% or 1,280) of all clients in Northern Territory were a new client, who had not previously received treatment since 2013–14 (see Key terminology and glossary) (Table SCR.28).

Drugs of concern

In 2022–23, for clients in the Northern Territory who received treatment episodes for their own alcohol or drug use (5,204 episodes):

  • Alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern for clients (69% or 3,578 episodes) (Figure NT 2, tables ST NT.7).
  • Cannabis (13% or 664 episodes) and amphetamines (9.9% or 515 episodes) were the second and third most common principal drugs of concern.
  • Volatile solvents (3.1% or 161 episodes) were the next most common principal drug of concern, with proportions higher than the national level (less than 1%) (Table Drg.1).

Figure NT 2: Proportion of treatment episodes for own drug use, by drug of concern, Northern Territory, 2013–14 to 2022–23

The grouped horizontal bar chart shows that, in 2022–23, alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern in treatment episodes provided to clients in the Northern Territory for their own drug use (68.8%). This was followed by cannabis (12.8%) and amphetamines (9.9%). Cannabis was the most common additional drug of concern (26.2% of episodes), followed by nicotine (17.4%) and alcohol (10.0%).

In 2022–23, for clients who received treatment for their own use of amphetamines (515 episodes):

  • Methamphetamine was reported as a principal drug of concern in almost 4 in 5 (76%) treatment episodes.
  • Over half (57%) of treatment episodes where methamphetamine was a principal drug of concern, injecting was the most common method of use, followed by smoking (34%) (Figure NT 3).

Figure NT 3: Proportion of treatment episodes for own drug use, by amphetamine group (2013–14 to 2022–23) or method of use (2022–23), Northern Territory (per cent)

The line graph shows that, in 2013–14, amphetamine and amphetamines not further defined were the most common drugs of concern among amphetamine-related treatment episodes for clients’ own drug use. In 2014–15, methamphetamine became the most common principal drug of concern within the amphetamines group. The proportion of methamphetamine-related episodes increased from 31.9% of amphetamine-related episodes in 2013–14 to 76.1% in 2022–23, while the proportion of episodes for amphetamines not further defined decreased from 32.6% to a low of 0.3% in 2017–18, then increasing to 23.1% in 2022–23. Buttons allow the user to navigate to data on amphetamines by method of use. 

Clients can nominate up to 5 additional drugs of concern; these drugs are not necessarily the subject of any treatment within the episode (see technical notes).

In 2022–23, where additional drugs of concern were reported, cannabis was the most common additional drug of concern (26% of episodes), followed by nicotine (17%) (Table ST NT.7).

Over the period 2013–14 to 2022–23:

  • Alcohol remained the most common principal drug of concern, increasing from 61% in 2013–14 (2,371 episodes) to peak at 72% in 2020–21 (5,531 episodes), falling to 69% (3,578 episodes) in 2022–23. 
    • The proportion of episodes for alcohol, relative to all other principal drugs of concern, remained consistently higher than the national proportion (for example, 69% compared with 43% nationally in 2022–23) (tables ST NT.7, Drg.1).  
  • Treatment episodes for amphetamines as a principal drug of concern increased over this period (7.1% to 14%):
    • Within the amphetamines group, treatment for methamphetamine as a principal drug of concern was reported as the principal drug of concern in 32% of episodes in 2013–14, rising to 85% in 2017–18, dropping to 76% in 2022–23 (Figure NT 3).
    • The rise in methamphetamine episodes may be related to changes in the illicit drug market and/or changes in service provider practices. 
  • The proportion of treatment episodes for volatile solvents as a principal drug of concern decreased from 11% in 2013–14 to 3.1% in 2022–23 (Table Drg.1). 

Treatment

In 2022–23, for treatment episodes in the Northern Territory (5,475 episodes):

  • Assessment only was the most common main treatment (47% of episodes), followed by counselling (17%) (Figure NT 4, Table ST NT.13).
  • Where an additional treatment was provided as a supplementary to the main treatment, counselling (15%) was the most common additional treatment, followed by support and case management (7.0%) (Table ST NT.13). See technical notes for further information on calculating proportions for additional treatment type.

All agencies in the Northern Territory are required to complete a separate assessment only episode prior to the commencement of treatment. This is due to a policy of monitoring the volume of assessment work performed by agencies and understanding the relationship between assessment and subsequent treatment, particularly in relation to certain alcohol-related legislative-based programs. This policy was introduced in 2018 (reported in the 2017–18 collection year).

Over the period 2013–14 to 2022–23:

  • Assessment only remained the most common main treatment, although the proportion of episodes fluctuated (increasing from 40% in 2013–14 to 47% in 2022–23).
  • The proportion of episodes where counselling was the main treatment fluctuated from 25% in 2013–14, before halving to 13% in 2019–20 and rising to 17% in 2022–23.
  • The proportion of treatment episodes where rehabilitation was the main treatment fluctuated since 2013–14, rising from 16% (703) to 25% (1,343) in 2016–17 before falling to 12% (967) in 2020–21, then increasing to 21% (1,147) in 2022–23 (Table ST NT.13).

Figure NT 4: Proportion of treatment episodes, by treatment type, Northern Territory, 2013–14 to 2022–23

The grouped horizontal bar chart shows that, in 2022–23, the most common main treatment type provided to clients in the Northern Territory for their own drug use was assessment only (46.6% of episodes). This was followed by counselling (17.0%) and rehabilitation (21.0). Counselling was the most common additional treatment type (15.0% of episodes), followed by support and case management (7.0%).

Agencies

The Northern Territory does not have any areas classified as Major city or Inner regional. It only has locations classified as Outer regional, Remote or Very remote.

In 2022–23:

  • The majority of the 24 treatment agencies were in the non-government sector (79%).
  • Outer regional areas contained the most treatment agencies (50%), followed by Remote areas (38%) (Figure NT 5, Table Agcy.3).

In the 10 years to 2022–23, the number of publicly funded treatment agencies rose from 22 to 24 (Table Agcy.1).

Figure NT 5: Number of agencies, by remoteness area and sector, Northern Territory, 2022–23

The horizontal bar chart shows that all treatment agencies in the Northern Territory were located in Outer regional areas (12 agencies), followed by Remote areas (9 agencies) and Very remote areas (3 agencies) in 2022–23. Of the total 24 treatment agencies, most (19 agencies) were non-government agencies.

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