Victoria records 50 per cent jump in demand for alcohol services post-pandemic

Shock news figures have revealed the huge demand for drug and alcohol services since the pandemic with experts warning a whopping $80 million funding boost was “needed now”.

Demand for alcohol services has soared by more than 50 per cent since before the pandemic forcing thousands of Victorians to wait months for treatment.

Shock new figures have revealed the spike in demand for alcohol and drug treatment in Victoria, with experts warning a whopping $80 million funding boost was urgently needed to plug growing gaps across the state.

The statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the number of people seeking treatment for drug and alcohol dependency, including rehab, counselling and withdrawal services, hit its highest level in 10-years in 2022-2023.

More than 92,000 Victorians sought help, with alcohol related treatment episodes surging to 30,859 – a 50 per cent increase on the pre-pandemic figure of 20,326 in 2019-20.

Alcohol and drug service demands has soared after the pandemic.

It comes as the state’s peak drug and alcohol body and community health providers urged the Allan government not to axe the sector’s funding in the upcoming budget.

CEO of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) Chris Christoforou told the Sunday Herald Sun an additional $80 million was “needed now” tackle pressure points in the system as the impact of Covid lockdowns continues to haunt the state.

“We know that waitlists have increased 40 per cent since the pandemic with, on any given day, almost 3500 people waiting for AOD treatment in Victoria,” he said.

“This is now the new normal.

Mr Christoforou acknowledged that the Victorian government was facing “tough fiscal circumstances post pandemic”.

But said any cut to services “would devastate Victorian families, further blow out treatment waitlists and create an additional burden on acute health services, at greater cost to the Victorian community”.

In 2022, fatal overdose data from the Victorian Coroners Court revealed the highest number of alcohol related fatal overdoses on record, with 173 fatal overdoses that year.

VAADA CEO Chris Christoforou says $80m needed to fill the growing gap. Picture: Supplied

Chair of Community Health First Anna Robinson said she hoped further investment would be delivered to alcohol and drug services and programs in the upcoming budget, noting health promotion funding took a hit last year.

“Community health services support some of our most vulnerable Victorians, including many struggling with their alcohol and other drug use,” she said.

“Our experience shows many are unable to access the specialist support they need, with long waiting lists not uncommon across the State.”

Shadow Mental Health Minister Emma Kealy said drug and alcohol treatment services were “completely overwhelmed with patients stuck on waiting lists for over a year”.

“During Labor’s lockdowns, Victorians turned to alcohol to cope with their mental ill-health, and now Victorians can’t access the support they need to reduce their dependence,” she said. She noted that some regional Victorians were forced to travel “hundreds of kilometres for residential rehab”.

A state government spokesman said Labor had “doubled” it’s investment in alcohol and drug services since coming to government in 2014 to $372 million.