The National Drug Strategy: When the evidence says one thing and policy does another
A moment of opportunity
There’s a lot happening in the alcohol and other drug sector in Australia right now.
The current National Drug Strategy is due to expire this year, the Australian Government Drug and Alcohol Program is about to go through recommissioning, and several states and territories are developing new strategies of their own.
This creates a genuine opportunity to address some of the longstanding gaps in our system.
The evidence on what works in alcohol and other drug responses has never been stronger. We know prevention, early intervention, harm reduction and treatment reduce harms and save money. For every dollar invested in these responses, at least seven dollars is saved elsewhere.
Yet much of our investment remains concentrated at the crisis end of the system. Around two thirds of Australia’s alcohol and other drug funding is directed toward law enforcement, while only a small proportion is spent on harm reduction and early intervention.
Over time, we’ve inadvertently built a system where many people avoid seeking support until problems become severe. Their first interaction with formal services often comes only once they are already in crisis.
Why change is so difficult
So what’s stopping us from distributing resources differently?
Part of the challenge is that systems evolve slowly, and funding structures do not always shift as quickly as the evidence.
Historically, our alcohol and other drug responses were built around acute harms and crisis intervention because that’s how we used to think about alcohol and other drug problems – you either have a problem or you don’t.
Police, hospitals and emergency services are visible, immediate and politically tangible. Prevention and early intervention are quieter successes. When they work well, the crisis never occurs.
The limits of crisis based systems
There are also structural barriers. Funding is often short term and fragmented across jurisdictions, making it difficult for services to plan, innovate and scale effective models. Health, social services and justice systems are frequently funded separately despite supporting many of the same people.
At the same time, stigma continues to shape help seeking. Many Australians do not identify with traditional treatment models or delay reaching out until problems have escalated significantly.
None of these challenges are insurmountable.
Investing earlier and more effectively
Australia now has a far stronger evidence base for what works across prevention, early intervention, treatment and harm reduction. We also have new opportunities through digital health, integrated care and more sophisticated commissioning approaches to support people earlier and more effectively.
The next phase of reform should focus on building a system that invests across the full continuum of care, not only at the point of crisis. That means funding responses in proportion to where they are most effective, strengthening the workforce and recognising the important role of digital and community based services in reaching people earlier.
From evidence to implementation
We are in the midst of a rare policy window. Australia has the research, lived experience and sector expertise needed to shape a more balanced, effective and sustainable response.
The challenge now is turning that evidence into action.
Health services are complex, and planning the most effective use of limited resources requires evidence-based system design.
Health services planning should draw upon a variety of data sources on system capacity, service needs and staffing resources to ensure a sustainable health service, given the patchy and often uncertain funding of the sector. Every new health services venture should be guided by a clear model for the future.
360Edge delivers specialist expertise in healthcare planning, with a key focus on working within budgetary constraints and ensuring service needs are met as efficiently as possible. We utilise best practice approaches to complex logistics and health systems analysis. Learn more about how 360Edge can help.
Are you interested building your skills in responding to alcohol and other drugs? Check out our diverse range of clinical practice workshops.
