NDARC’s epidemiology research investigates substance use and harms in Australia and globally. This includes globally focused work on epidemiology and harms of illicit drug use, and cohort studies ranging from cohorts of young people, cohorts of people living with chronic non-cancer pain prescribed opioids, cohorts of people who inject drugs, and collaborations with other research groups undertaking cohorts including men who have sex with men, and population cohorts of young people followed into middle adulthood.
A key component of this program is Drug Trends, an internationally renowned system that is key to identifying emerging problems in substance use in Australia and providing impetus for policy responses and intervention.