Trends in Australian attitudes towards the availability of take-home naloxone: Evidence from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey

Take-home naloxone programs are an effective intervention for preventing opioid overdose deaths, yet little is known about public attitudes towards their availability at a population level. This study examined trends in Australian attitudes towards take-home naloxone, sociodemographic correlates of support, and jurisdictional differences, using data from the 2016 (N = 22,271), 2019 (N = 20,998), and 2022-23 (N = 20,251) National Drug Strategy Household Survey. In 2022-23, 41.8% of Australians supported the availability of take-home naloxone, 10.6% opposed it, 16.3% were ambivalent, and 31.3% reported insufficient knowledge to express a view. Support increased modestly over time, while opposition declined. Attitudes varied across sociodemographic groups, with more favourable views observed among younger respondents, those with higher educational attainment, those living in more socioeconomically advantaged areas, those who spoke English at home, residents of major cities, and those reporting recent illicit drug use. Uncertainty was particularly high among respondents aged 65 years and over and those who spoke a language other than English at home. Overall, findings indicate that take-home naloxone is not a highly polarising intervention in Australia, but rather one characterised by substantial uncertainty. While public support has strengthened alongside policy expansion, limited awareness remains a key barrier to broader community endorsement. Strengthening population-level understanding of naloxone, alongside targeted communication strategies for groups with lower awareness, may be critical to ensuring equitable access and sustained support for overdose prevention initiatives.