It is almost impossible to measure the social costs of alcohol and other drug misuse. Drugs have a major impact on crime, violence, family life and work. Drugs are a major cause of chronic sickness and death across Australia. They contribute to accidents and injury, poisoning, cardiovascular disease, many types of cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and many other problems affecting people's lives, their families and communities.
Below is a diagram which shows proportions of deaths caused by alcohol and other drugs for 1996.
Based on data in National Drug Strategic Framework
1998-99 to 2002-03, Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy 1998:8-9
Alcohol and tobacco are the two drugs that most seriously impact on the life of Territorians. The following information comes from research done by the Alcohol and Other Drugs Program.
In the NT between July 1995 and June 1998 alcohol was a factor in 38 per cent of arrests and summons for offences against people and 43 per cent of offences against good order. Petrol sniffing also often leads to violence and crime in communities.
In the whole of Australia, alcohol is linked to about half the incidents (50 per cent) of family violence and about one in three child abuse cases (30 per cent), as well as many marriage breakdowns. In the Northern Territory, the figures are thought to be a lot higher. Alcohol and other drug misuse can also lead to people losing jobs, financial stress and other social disruption.
Alcohol plays a major role in many fatal road accidents. It is also linked to many drownings, falls and other accidents. From 1982 to 1992, there were 19 884 road accidents and about two out of ten (22.4 per cent) were alcohol related. From 1992 to 1997, there were 14 250 road accidents and just over one out of ten (13.3 per cent) were alcohol related. Alcohol has been involved in two out of every three fatal road accidents (62 per cent) in the NT.
Drug use in the workplace puts the individual and others at risk of injury and illness. For example, there is a risk of serious injury if a person operates machinery (saws, drills, fork lifts) while under the influence of alcohol. If a person smokes tobacco in a closed space, it affects people who do not smoke (passive smoking). It also increases costs for employers as they have to pay for sick leave and worker's compensation. Absenteeism costs industry a lot of money in lost productivity. For 1988/89, the estimated alcohol related cost to industry in the NT was $61.94 million (Sessional Committee on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community 1991:234).
Currently, there is not much information that specifically shows how much death and sickness is caused by drugs in the Northern Territory.
The diseases linked with causes of death from drug taking are the chronic diseases such as those affecting the circulatory system, respiratory system, the nervous system, various forms of cancer, and acute conditions resulting from injury and poisoning (Plant et al 1995:xi). In particular, tobacco smoking is a significant factor in causing serious illness, admission to hospital and premature death (Measey et al 1998:28).
A recent study of cancer in the Northern Territory (d'Espaignet et al 1996) shows that between 1987 and 1993 there were 1 780 new cases of cancer and 807 deaths due to cancer. The most common cancer deaths were lung, liver, breast and cervical cancers. There were 218 deaths from cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung - all areas affected by smoking tobacco.
An examination of 1 447 deaths investigated by the NT coroner between 1989 and 1997 found that:
Some Aboriginal communities in the Top End have been concerned about heavy kava drinking. In 1992, there were eight communities in which people drank kava. Research is on-going to find out how heavy kava use affects the body. Of 1 447 deaths investigated by the coroner between 1989 and 1997, kava was a factor in seven deaths (all before 1995).
Petrol sniffing causes problems from time to time in some Aboriginal communities in the NT. Sniffing can lead to injury and violence in the community. Long term petrol sniffing can result in permanent brain damage. Petrol was a factor in 25 out of 1 447 deaths investigated by the coroner between 1989 and 1997. From January 1992 to October 1997, however, petrol sniffing was identified as a factor in 44 admissions to Alice Springs Hospital.
There have been some unofficial reports that cannabis smoking is increasing. It is not clear what the impact will be in Aboriginal communities.
Injecting drugs with syringes that others have used carries the risk of getting Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS from others who have these diseases. Injecting drugs also increases the risks of infections such as abscesses, septicaemia and tetanus. It is not known how much drug injecting is happening in Aboriginal communities.