Drug-related harms in Victorian police custody: Investigating ambulance attendances and emergency healthcare responses

People held in police custody (also referred to as the police cells, watch house or lock-up) may be experiencing acute intoxication, withdrawal or other health complications associated with alcohol and other drug (AOD) use.

These presentations can require timely clinical assessment, monitoring and treatment, yet relatively little is known about the nature and extent of AOD-related health emergencies in these settings, or how they are managed. Research in NSW (*Beard et al., 2025) demonstrated the value of ambulance surveillance data for investigating opioid- related harms in justice settings.

Building on this research, the proposed project aims to use Victorian ambulance surveillance data to investigate AOD-related health emergencies involving people detained in police custody, with particular attention to intoxication and withdrawal.

The project aims to examine the nature and characteristics of AOD-related ambulance attendances involving people detained in police custody in Victoria, and explore the circumstances surrounding these attendances, including access to AOD-related healthcare.

The project will use data from the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS), which contains routinely collected information about ambulance attendances involving AOD-related harms.

A mixed methods approach will involve incorporating quantitative analysis to describe the characteristics and patterns of AOD-related ambulance attendances; and qualitative analysis of paramedic case notes to explore the circumstances surrounding ambulance attendances.

The project will generate new evidence about drug-related health emergencies in Victorian police custody settings and contribute to understanding how the health needs of detainees are recognised and managed. Findings may help identify opportunities to improve clinical assessment, monitoring and access to appropriate healthcare.