Date Time Growing concerns for Victorians seeking help for alcohol use A new survey by the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) has found that 70% of alcohol and other drug (AOD) services reported more people are seeking help for alcohol use since the pandemic began in Australia. AOD services – which provide vital support to people experiencing harms associated with alcohol and other drugs – were asked if they had noticed an increase or decrease of alcohol as a drug of concern for clients, since March 2020. Between December 2020 and January 2021, VAADA surveyed 38 AOD service agencies across Victoria. The survey found 70% of Victorian services reported an increase in alcohol as a drug of concern for clients, including nearly a quarter of services who said alcohol featured ‘a lot more’.