Data sources

AODstats compiles results from alcohol and other drug(AOD)-related primary and secondary data sources available in Victoria. Data includes the following datasets (indicators):

Ambulance data are sourced from the Turning Point Ambo Project, which examines AOD-related events that are attended by ambulance paramedics.

Information on AOD-related hospital admissions are obtained from the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED), maintained by the Victorian Department of Health.

Counselling Online provides 24-hours online text-based counselling for people concerned by their own or other people’s alcohol or drug use. It is managed by Turning Point.

DirectLine (including Ice Advice and Pharmacotherapy Information) provides 24-hour telephone counselling, information, and referral services for Victorians to discuss AOD-related issues. DirectLine is managed by HealthLink, a program of Turning Point.

The AOD treatment data presented in AODstats are derived from the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Collection (VADC), previously known as the Alcohol and other Drug Information System (ADIS). Unit level data were obtained from the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Collection.

The Victoria Police collate statistics on the number of reported incidents recorded for a variety of offence types on the Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) via the Crime Statistics Agency, a computerised database established in 1993. Reported incidents of assault and family incidents (a measure of domestic violence) are recorded along with information on the location of the assault

The Cause of Death Unit Record File (COD URF) data file holds information on all deaths, which are coded from death certificates compiled by the collective jurisdictional Registries of Birth, Deaths and Marriages, and State and Chief Coroners, using ICD10 codes. Since 2007, the Australian Coordinating Registry (ACR) for obtaining COD URF is the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM).

The VicRoads Road Network Database (RNDB) is compiled from forms completed by Victoria Police, detailing each crash, including location, persons and vehicles involved. Serious road injury (SRI) data files are downloaded from VicRoads CrashStats (an online interactive statistics and mapping application for road crashes).

Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT) data have been collated from the Victorian Opioid Pharmacotherapy Program. Data are obtained from the Victorian Department of Health.

Unit level, liquor licence data obtained from the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) is used.  Data is based on premises address.

The Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) data have been collated from the Australian NSP Survey. It is an annual cross-sectional survey of NSP attendees across Australia that forms the basis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (HCV) surveillance among people who inject drugs in Australia. Data is obtained from the Victorian Department of Health.

More information on the data sources and methods used can be found in the link below

AODSTATS METHODS