Trends and Associates of Non-Medical Prescription Opioid Use in Australia

Abstract

Impacts on substance use related harms is a public health issue of concern in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study included 72,586 Australians who participated in the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys in 2010, 2013, and 2016. The national prevalence of the use prescription opioid for non-medical reasons has been increasing, with 3.22% in 2010, 3.45% in 2013, and 3.56% in 2016. Individuals with high levels of psychological distress, socioeconomically disadvantaged and residing in the non-metropolitan area were more likely to have used non-medical prescription opioid. Pre-COVID-19 estimates are to be used in future studies to assess the contextual effect of the pandemic on drug-related harms.