The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability today announced the re-referral of an inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia, reaffirming its commitment to addressing some of the nation's most pressing public health concerns.

Media release issue date: Friday, 29 August 2025

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability today announced the re-referral of an inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia, reaffirming its commitment to addressing some of the nation's most pressing public health concerns. Committee Chair, Dr Mike Freelander MP, said that “Alcohol and drug-related harm continue to affect tens of thousands of Australians each year. The re-referral of the inquiry will enable the Committee to finalise the valuable work that was undertaken in the previous Parliament and ensure that we have the most accurate, up-to-date evidence to guide our response, protect vulnerable people and communities, and support recovery.” The Committee’s Issues paper relating to the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia identified a number of additional areas of focus for the Committee’s inquiry. In addition to these areas, the Committee will also examine young peoples’ experience with alcohol and other drugs, the experiences of GPs and hospital staff in treating those seeking help with addiction, and the work of the not-for-profit sector in delivering programs and initiatives to address related harms. The government encourages all interested individuals, health professionals, advocacy groups, and community organisations who have not already had an opportunity to participate in the inquiry to make a submission by Friday, 31 October 2025. The Committee thanks everyone who provided a submission to the inquiry or participated in a public hearing in the previous Parliament. As this body of evidence will be reconsidered when the Committee makes its recommendations, there is no requirement to submit again. Further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including the full terms of reference and specific details on how to lodge a submission are available at the Committee’s website. Media inquiries Dr Mike Freelander MP – Committee Chair Mike.Freelander.MP@aph.gov.au (02) 4620 0293 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4145 Health.Reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.