In 1986 the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) was launched to provide 24-hour support, information, counselling, and referral for Western Australians experiencing problems and concerns related to alcohol and/or drug use and issues. This was a result of a recommendation of the National Drug Summit in early 1985 and in its first year, ADIS received 5,575 calls.
A decade later, in 1996, the Parent Drug Information Service (PDIS) was launched to provide support to parents and families affected by someone else's alcohol or other drug (AOD) use. Calls to the Parent and Family Drug Support Line were answered by the ADIS counselling team. PDIS also supported parents in the Adult Drug Court and provided parent peer support groups at the Drug and Alcohol Office (DAO). In 2000 Parent Peer Volunteers were trained to form the Parent Peer Volunteer Network and provide an option for concerned parents to seek support.
In the 1990s, Quitline was an additional support line managed by ADIS. The Quitline is a national telephone service for those wanting information, assistance, counselling and support with smoking cessation. In WA, Quitline was funded by the Public Health Division, Department of Health Western Australia.
In 2000, volunteers with lived experience were recruited to provide peer support on the Parent and Family Drug Support Line to concerned parents and family members.
In 2010 the Booking Service was launched and consists of:
- Cannabis Intervention Requirement Scheme (CIR).
- Other Drug Intervention Requirement Scheme (ODIR).
- Alcohol Interlock Scheme (AIS).
These are WA Police and Department of Transport (DoT) diversionary schemes that aim to divert people with minor drug and alcohol offences from the justice system.
With technology development in addition to phone, email and mail out support, Live Chat commenced (2010 to early 2011).
In January 2015, an eight-month pilot project to implement a dedicated telephone and online support service specifically targeting Working Away From Home communities, including fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers. The focus was on AOD use and mental health and wellbeing for workers and their families.
Then in April 2015, the Alcohol and Drug Information Service was renamed, rebranded and officially launched by the Minister for Mental Health to the Alcohol and Drug Support Service (ADSS) which at that time was comprised of three support lines:
- Alcohol and Drug Support Line (ADSL).
- Parent and Family Drug Support Line (PFDSL)
- Working Away Alcohol and Drug Support Line (WAADSL).
In addition, PDIS was rebranded to become called the Parent and Family Drug Support (PFDS). The renaming and rebranding were implemented to better reflect the evolving services offered to meet the needs of the community.
Due to low call numbers the Working Away Alcohol and Drug Support line was ceased in February 2018 and calls were redirected to ADSL. Later in 2018, the Meth Helpline was launched with funding for three years then ceased in 2021 with calls redirected to the Alcohol and Drug Support Line.
On 2 March 2022 the Minister for Health officially launched the Here For You Support Line, to provide statewide support to anyone concerned about their own or another person's mental health and/or alcohol and other drug issues. Here For You operates between 7am to 10pm seven days per week.
The Alcohol and Drug Support Service encompasses three support lines and two program areas:
- Alcohol and Drug Support Line (ADSL)
- Parent and Family Drug Support Line (PFDSL)
- Here For You Support Line (1800here4u)
- Parent and Family Support Groups and Programs
- Diversion Booking Service
To ensure the service name is reflective of our service, ADSS underwent rebranding in 2025 to the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Support Service (ADMHSS).
The ADMHSS provides comprehensive alcohol, drug and mental health support via telephone, Live Chat and email. All support lines are answered by qualified counsellors. The counsellors can arrange for callers to speak to a Parent and Family Drug Support Volunteer either on the day, or via a call-back at a later date, depending on volunteer availability.
Page last updated25 February 2026
