Confirm your local issue and target audience

Confirm your local issue

You may have already started to define the alcohol and drug-related issues to address. Gathering information from a range of sources will help you to develop an accurate picture of what is happening in your community and focus your activity on the most important issue.

Defined issues in the Community Action Plan template, including:

• alcohol and pregnancy/Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
• alcohol
• other illicit drugs
• non-prescribed pharmaceutical use
• crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’)
• stimulants (including cocaine)
• cannabis
• steroid use.
  

For more information, including sources of local data, see also, identifying alcohol and drug issues in your community.

Confirm your target audience

Your ‘target audience’ are the people who will directly benefit from your activity, and are identified according to age and priority population groups.

Defined target audiences in the Community Action Plan template, including:

Age:

• 0–5 years (parent)
• 6–11 years
• 12–17 years
• 18–30 years
• 30–50 years
• 50–60 years
• 60–70 years
• 70+ years

Priority population:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse and Intersex (LGBTI)
• culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD).

Location:

• regional, rural and remote communities.

If the audience that your LDAT is targeting is more specific than the options provided in the Community Action Plan template (e.g. pregnant women, people who are unemployed) or unknown, then you can indicate this in the template.

Alcohol and other drug lifecycle, issues and audiences

In selecting your target audience and activity, it is important to understand which groups are affected by which issues, so your activity can be tailored and targeted appropriately. Different groups will have certain attitudes, behaviours and demographics that need to be considered.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Lifecycle Planner and supporting document outlines the alcohol and other drug issues at each stage of life and provides guidance on the activities best suited to support each stage.

Download 'Alcohol and other drug lifecycle planner'

Use this planner to guide the development of a Community Action Plan that addresses local alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues, by addressing risks and building protective factors using the range of evidence-based toolkits.

Consultation, issues and audience

It is important to consult with others to be sure that your partners and community agree this is the right focus. Consulting with your community will assist you in confirming your local issue and target audience.

See our community consultation guide to understand how to consult with your community to better define the issue.