Identify local alcohol and other drug issues

Identifying local AOD issues accurately means your activities focus on the issues that matter most.

Start with what your community knows

Identifying local needs is an opportunity for a brainstorming session with key stakeholders, with all the ideas put up on a whiteboard. Then consult your community to find out what your partners and local people understand the issues to be. They may have their own data and insights that help you choose an area of focus.

Ask the right questions

If you don’t ask the right questions and gather the right information at the start, you may spend time, effort and resources on a less important issue while a more important or urgent one is overlooked. Ask:

• Have you asked your community what they think the issues are?
• Do you have enough facts, figures and current information to make an informed decision?
• How can you find out more about the issue?
• Do you need to do any research or gather evidence?
• What are the causes of the problem?
• Who is most affected by the issue?

Gather local information and data

A range of sources will help you build an accurate picture of what is happening in your community. As you collect information, you may find that some issues are less widespread than you thought, uncover issues you weren’t aware of, or confirm what you already suspected. High-profile incidents, controversy and politics can sometimes skew how people see an issue, so check what the data says.

For ways to collect your own data, such as surveys and focus groups, see data collection tools.

Check the quality of your information. Ask:

• Is it clear where the information has come from?
• Is it a reputable source, such as a government report, a well-known and credible organisation or an academic publication?
• Is the information factual, accurate and current?
• Is it publicly available?
• Does it contain data specific to your local area?
• Is information available from a variety of sources, and are they broadly consistent with each other?

Where to find reliable information

Partners and community: statistics and research give only part of the picture. Your partners and community can tell you what is happening on the ground.

Alcohol and Drug Foundation:

• ADF Library: access to journal articles and research on preventing and minimising AOD harm
• Drug Facts: factual and up-to-date information about alcohol and other drugs.

Population data:

• local government websites, with statistics on age, gender, disability, employment, households, country of birth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status and sexual orientation in their area
• the latest Census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics
• community survey data from local councils in your area, which may cover issues such as alcohol.

Other local sources:

• local councils (ask for the planning, recreation or youth officer)
• Primary Care Partnerships (Victoria)
• TAFEs
• universities.

Common AOD issues that communities work on include harm from:

• AOD use during pregnancy
• parenting approaches to alcohol and other drugs
• early or experimental AOD use by young people
• risky drinking
• drink driving
• steroid use
• pharmaceutical drug use
• poly-drug use, such as mixing pharmaceuticals and alcohol.

Your local data and consultation will show which of these, or which other issues, matter most where you live.

Understanding which groups are most affected lets you tailor your activities to them. Different groups have different attitudes, behaviours and needs.

Some activities and approaches suit particular age groups. The AOD Lifecycle Planner shows how AOD issues can affect people at different ages.

Priority groups

The ADF has identified priority groups who experience a higher risk of AOD harm. They are a priority audience for prevention activities:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
• lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) communities
• young people
• older people
• regional, rural and remote communities.

Once you’ve identified your issue and audience, see community approaches to AOD prevention for how communities work together on it, then run your activities and evaluate them.

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026