A recent analysis article published by Monash University examined how health surveillance data can be used to identify patterns of alcohol- and drug-related harm. In 2025, Victorian Administrative and Civil Tribunal rejected a proposed liquor store in Daylesford based on publicly available health data indicating elevated alcohol-related harms, including increased hospital admissions, road injuries, and deaths. These data, provided through the AODstats platform by Turning Point, show how research evidence is increasingly being used to inform community-level decisions.
According to Dan Lubman, Monash University professor of Addiction Studies and Services, this case reflects a broader shift toward making health data more accessible and actionable for the public and policymakers. “Historically, much of the evidence about alcohol and other drug harms sat with researchers or policymakers,” he said. “With the AODstats platform, we’re now seeing research data being translated into open resources that communities themselves can use to understand what’s happening where they live.”
The AODstats platform, developed by Turning Point in collaboration with Monash University and the Victorian Department of Health, provides up-to-date, publicly accessible data on alcohol- and drug-related harms, drawing on multiple sources to track trends over time. A key feature is its integration with the Victorian arm of the National Ambulance Surveillance System, which captures real-time data on ambulance attendances related to substance use, mental health crises, and self-harm.
Moreover, it was found that ambulance data offers a unique perspective by capturing incidents at the point of crisis, often before hospital admission, offering insights into harms that may otherwise go unrecorded. Researchers noted that evaluating these patterns can help early detection of emerging risks, and ambulance data has been developed into a reliable, scalable public health surveillance tool. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, surveillance data showed a shift in alcohol-related harms from public venues to private settings, with significant increases in ambulance attendances involving mental health issues and suicidal behaviours, highlighting the need for enhanced support services.
Importantly, ambulance data analysis by Monash University researchers have shown hidden patterns of alcohol-related harm, including violence, vulnerability in at-risk groups, risks to emergency personnel, and emerging trends such as GHB-related incidents. Lubman also noted that data platforms such as AODstats can reshape the relationship between data and the public. “When high-quality evidence is openly available, it changes who can participate in conversations about health and safety,” he said. “Communities, local governments and service planners can draw on the same information as researchers, supporting more transparent and informed decision-making.”
