NIDIP was established in the recognition that there was a greater need for the regular dissemination of trends in the epidemiology of drug-related harms in Australia. It was also established to provide comparable monitoring at an international level as there is increasing recognition among international organisations and countries of the need for evidence based decision making in order to respond effectively to drug-related problems, particularly given the transborder issues associated with global drug trafficking. The recognition of a national and internationally comparable approach to illicit drug-related surveillance and monitoring is highlighted through a number of countries with illicit drug data collections in place (e.g. the Community Epidemiology Working Group on Illicit Drugs (CEWG) in the U.S. and the European Union European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)) as well as international efforts to coordinate global drug trends. The benefits of NIDIP then, include the enhanced dissemination of information on trends in harms related to opioid and psychostimulant use and use of prescription drugs, and a greater evidence base for the development of policy responses and interventions in relation to these harms. NIDIP also provides comparable monitoring of trends at an international level.
The aims of the National Illicit Drug Indicators Project (NIDIP) are to provide epidemiological data on trends over time in drug-related harms, to complement other Australian monitoring systems such as the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS), and to improve the understanding of, and systematically track changes in, drug-related harms for both illicit and prescription drugs.
To date NIDIP has identified a comprehensive range of data sources, and produced reviews of drug-related data indicators at a national level as well as within New South Wales. These indicators include: information on population patterns of drug use from national surveys, data on deaths due to drug overdoses, drug-related morbidity and drug treatment data, indicators of drug purity and seizures, and drug-related crime data. Analyses of these indicators are published on a regular basis. The project currently publishes bulletins on drug-related deaths and drug-related hospital separations on annual basis on the NDARC website. These bulletins, along with reports and peer-reviewed journal articles aim to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of trends in drug use and related harms in Australia over time.
NIDIP has successfully negotiated access to several national routine data collections including the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD), the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum DataSet (AODTS- NMDS), the Australian Bureau of Statistics Causes of Death Collection, and the National Coroner’s Information System (NCIS). Jurisdictional data from NSW is also accessed for reporting in the IDRS and EDRS reports including ambulance overdose callouts, calls to the Alcohol and Drug Information Service and the Family Drug Support Service, drug-related emergency department presentations and numbers of needles distributed.
In 2012, the NIDIP continued to access and analyse a comprehensive range of national data collections to produce trends in use and harms associated with illicit drugs in Australia. An exciting new initiative in 2012 was the addition of an online monitoring module to complement current monitoring strategies. This involves analysing the number of internet websites listing some of the newer emerging psychoactive substances (e.g. mephedrone, MDPV) for sale to Australia, as well as analysis of the Silk Road for availability and price of illicit drugs and the newer emerging psychoactive substances.
2012: Analysis arising from the National Illicit Drug Indicators Project in 2012 was central in informing an invited submission to a NSW Parliamentary enquiry into emerging psychoactive substances.
Another important publication to arise from NIDIP in 2012 was 'Accidental opioid-induced overdose deaths in Australia in 2008'. This publication was central in informing media discussion and debate around the issue of the rising rates of analgesic opioid prescribing in Australia.
The online report 'Trends in Drug Use and Related Harms in Australia' published in late 2011, continues to inform government discussion in regard to Australia’s performance on the National Drug Strategy 2010-2015. This report will be updated online as new data become available.
2011: One of the major outputs in 2011 was the publication of a comprehensive drug trends report, the first of its kind in Australia, synthesizing data across a range of different data sources (including the National Drug Strategy Household Survey data, the National Hospital Morbidity Database, the Illicit Drug Reporting System and the Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System, and causes of death data) to present trends in use and harms associated with alcohol and illicit drugs. This is an iterative document that will be updated electronically as additional data becomes available.
Another important publication to arise from NIDIP in 2011 was “The prescription of opioid analgesics and realted harms in Australia”, documenting trends in the prescription of morphine and oxycodone in Australia, hospital presentations related to opioid poisoning, and deaths related to oxycodone overdose.
Other publications:
2007
Riddell, S., Shanahan, M., Roxburgh, A. and Degenhardt, L. (2007). The cost of drug-related hospital stays in Australia, 1999-2005. NDARC Technical Report Number 285. Sydney, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre University of New South Wales.
Degenhardt, L. & Roxburgh, A. (2007). 2005 Cocaine and methamphetamine related drug-induced deaths in Australia. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L. & Roxburgh, A. (2007). Accidental drug-induced deaths due to opioids in Australia, 2005. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
2006
Degenhardt, L., Roxburgh, A., Black, E., & Dunn, M. (2006). Accidental drug-induced deaths due to opioids in Australia, 2004. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L., Roxburgh, A., Black, E. and Dunn, M. (2006). 2004 cocaine and amphetamine related drug-induced deaths in Australia. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Roxburgh, A. and Degenhardt, L. (2006) Hospital stays related to illicit drugs in Australia, 1993-2004. NDARC Technical Report Number 261. Sydney National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre University of New South Wales.
Roxburgh, A. & Degenhardt, L. (2006). Drug-related hospital stays in Australia, 1993-2005. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
2005
Jauncey, M., Taylor, L., & Degenhardt, L. (2005). Classification of opioid-induced deaths in Australia: Implications for surveillance, Drug and Alcohol Review 24, 401-409.
Barker, B., Conroy, E., Degenhardt, L., Kimber, J., & Dolan, K. (2005). Global indicators for monitoring the illicit drug environment in NSW: Catalogue of datasets and data sources. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L. & Dietze, P. (2005). Data sources on illicit drug use and harm in Australia. Melbourne: Turning Point Inc.
2004
Degenhardt, L., Roxburgh, A. & Black, E. (2004). Cocaine and amphetamine mentions in accidental drug-induced deaths in Australia, 1997-2003. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L., Roxburgh, A. & Black, E. (2004). 2003 Australian Bureau of Statistics data on accidental opioid induced deaths. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
2003
Barker, B., Degenhardt, L. & Breen, C. (2003). Indicators of drug use and treatment in Australia: Preliminary findings from the National Illicit Drug Indicators Project. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Barker, B. & Degenhardt, L. (2003). Cross-national comparisons of drug-induced deaths. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Barker, B. & Degenhardt, L. (2003) Accidental drug-induced deaths in Australia, 1997-2001. Technical Report No. 163. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Barker, B. & Degenhardt, L. (2003) Accidental and suicidal drug-induced deaths in Australia 1997-2001. Technical Report No. 164. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre
Roxburgh, A. (2003). Family Drug Support: Analysis of calls made to the Family Drug Support telephone service April 2000 to November 2002.Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L. & Barker, B. (2003). 2002 Australian Bureau of Statistics data on accidental opioid induced deaths. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Degenhardt, L. & Barker, B. (2003). Investigating trends in cocaine and methamphetamine mentions in accidental drug-induced deaths in Australia 1997-2002. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
CRICOS Provider Code: 00D98G
ABN 57 195 873 179
T +61 (2) 9385 0333
F +61 (2) 9385 0222
E ndarc@unsw.edu.au
NDARC
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
Randwick Campus
22 - 32 King Street
Randwick NSW 2031
