Australia’s use of illicit drugs has been exposed, with a new report finding ketamine use is at a record high while methamphetamine and cocaine consumption have also increased.
The latest wastewater monitoring report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) provides a snapshot of Australia’s drug habits over a week in April 2023, with the data showing how the use of 12 different drugs (both legal and illegal) have changed over time.
The report, released on Wednesday, provided estimates of drug consumption rates based on samples taken from 55 wastewater sites in capital city and regional areas with a total population of 14 million people.
Alcohol and nicotine were found to be consistently the highest consumed drugs in all states and territories when use is expressed in average dose amounts.
Cannabis was the most consumed illicit drug across the country, followed by methamphetamine, with all other substances included in the report – whether legally prescribed or not – being consumed at much lower levels.
Both cocaine and methamphetamine consumption reached their highest rates since 2020.
However according to ACIC, the two stimulant drugs are not of equal concern, with the enforcement body’s media release stating: “While cocaine receives a lot of attention, methamphetamine is the drug which causes the most harm to the community in terms of related mental and physical health issues, property crime, offences involving violence and road trauma,”
Ketamine use was detected at the highest rate since its inclusion in the wastewater monitoring program.
While the report cited it as an “emerging concern”, it also noted usage rates remained relatively low.
On a national basis, the report found increases in the average consumption of alcohol, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), oxycodone and ketamine; as well as decreases in the average consumption of heroin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA) and fentanyl.
But the wastewater monitoring report also found differences in drug consumption between capital cities and regional areas, with the 55 testing sites made up of 20 in capital cities and 35 in regional areas.
Cocaine consumption was found to be highest in Sydney, as well as single test sites in Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria. While its overall use in capital cities declined, this was counteracted by an increase in regional use.
Population-weighted heroin consumption in capital cities was found to be more than triple the use in regional Australia, with consumption highest in Melbourne and a regional test site in Victoria.
In contrast, the use of oxycodone and fentanyl – both prescription opioids with abuse potential – was much higher in regional areas than capital cities.
According to ACIC acting CEO Matt Rippon, the report underlines the pervasive and ongoing threat posed by serious and organised crime groups in Australia to acquire large profits at the expense of the Australian community.
“This reporting forms part of a multi-dimensional approach that targets supply, demand and harm reduction critical to reducing drug use in Australia,” Mr Rippon said.
“Drug consumption estimates derived from wastewater data, when used in combination with other data such as seizure, arrest, price, purity, health and availability data, provide the most comprehensive, empirically-based insights into Australian drug markets.”
Mr Rippon explained that the wastewater work extended far beyond the report and explored new technology developed by Australian universities to take sampling to an increasing variety of sites beyond wastewater treatment plants and to more remote areas of the country.
(SKY NEWS)
