AOD FINAL STUDY GUIDE 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
⩥ AOD spectrum of use. Ans: Abstinent, experimental, recreational,
regular, harmful and dependent use.
⩥ Abstinent use. Ans: No alcohol or other drug use.
⩥ Experimental use. Ans: Occasional substance use, often related to
curiosity or sensation-seeking.
⩥ Recreational use. Ans: Substance use that may occur socially but does
not necessarily cause significant impairment.
⩥ Regular use. Ans: Repeated use that may begin causing negative
consequences.
⩥ Dependent use. Ans: Habitual or compulsive use despite harm, often
involving tolerance, cravings and withdrawal.
⩥ Why assess the AOD spectrum. Ans: Care should be tailored to the
person's level of use, risk, harm and readiness to change.
, ⩥ Harm minimisation. Ans: An approach that aims to reduce harm from
substance use without requiring immediate abstinence.
⩥ Examples of harm minimisation. Ans: Overdose education, naloxone
education, safer injecting advice, withdrawal support, pill testing and
referral to AOD services.
⩥ AOD assessment. Ans: A structured assessment of substance type,
amount, frequency, last use, route, withdrawal history, overdose risk and
impact.
⩥ Why AOD assessment is important. Ans: It identifies intoxication,
withdrawal, overdose risk, interactions, mental health impacts and
opportunities for brief intervention.
⩥ Key AOD assessment questions. Ans: What do you use, how much,
how often, when did you last use, how do you use it and have you
withdrawn before?
⩥ Route of substance use. Ans: How the substance is used, such as oral,
inhaled, smoked, snorted or injected.
⩥ Withdrawal history. Ans: Past symptoms or complications when
reducing or stopping substance use.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
⩥ AOD spectrum of use. Ans: Abstinent, experimental, recreational,
regular, harmful and dependent use.
⩥ Abstinent use. Ans: No alcohol or other drug use.
⩥ Experimental use. Ans: Occasional substance use, often related to
curiosity or sensation-seeking.
⩥ Recreational use. Ans: Substance use that may occur socially but does
not necessarily cause significant impairment.
⩥ Regular use. Ans: Repeated use that may begin causing negative
consequences.
⩥ Dependent use. Ans: Habitual or compulsive use despite harm, often
involving tolerance, cravings and withdrawal.
⩥ Why assess the AOD spectrum. Ans: Care should be tailored to the
person's level of use, risk, harm and readiness to change.
, ⩥ Harm minimisation. Ans: An approach that aims to reduce harm from
substance use without requiring immediate abstinence.
⩥ Examples of harm minimisation. Ans: Overdose education, naloxone
education, safer injecting advice, withdrawal support, pill testing and
referral to AOD services.
⩥ AOD assessment. Ans: A structured assessment of substance type,
amount, frequency, last use, route, withdrawal history, overdose risk and
impact.
⩥ Why AOD assessment is important. Ans: It identifies intoxication,
withdrawal, overdose risk, interactions, mental health impacts and
opportunities for brief intervention.
⩥ Key AOD assessment questions. Ans: What do you use, how much,
how often, when did you last use, how do you use it and have you
withdrawn before?
⩥ Route of substance use. Ans: How the substance is used, such as oral,
inhaled, smoked, snorted or injected.
⩥ Withdrawal history. Ans: Past symptoms or complications when
reducing or stopping substance use.
