Australia's insatiable appetite for narcotics has showed no signs of slowing in the last year, with the nation's wastewater analysis revealing "disturbing" trends of increased drug use.
The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, that studied the wastewater of 55 per cent of Aussies - almost 14 million people - found that the consumption of methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, fentanyl and ketamine had increased in both the nation's cities and regional areas.
That is despite a number of large-scale and high-profile drug busts taking place across the country in the last year.
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"This underlines the ongoing threat posed by serious and organised crime groups and their responsiveness to perceived market opportunities and the large illicit profits to be derived from Australian illicit drug users," Matthew Rippon Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) said.
"A multi-dimensional approach that targets supply, demand and harm reduction is critical to reducing drug use in Australia."
Rippon said that estimates derived from wastewater, when used in combination with other data ― such as seizure, arrest, price, purity, health and availability ― provide the "most comprehensive, empirically-based insights into Australian drug markets".
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"In turn, these data reveal drug market resilience, but also points of vulnerability that present opportunities for coordinated strategies that improve the safety of the Australian community," he said.
Meanwhile, nicotine and alcohol consumption increased throughout Australia's cities, but declined in the regions, while the average consumption of heroin, cannabis and oxycodone decreased in both capital cities and rural areas - the latter to record lows.
According to the report, New South Wales ranked first nationally in capital city consumption of cocaine, MDMA and nicotine, and second in MDA and consumption of meth.
The state's regions ranked first nationally in consumption of both cocaine and fentanyl and second in consumption of heroin and MDMA.
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The Northern Territory ranked first in capital city consumption of alcohol, and second in consumption of nicotine.
Rural Queensland ranked first in consumption of MDMA and oxycodone and second in cocaine and ketamine.
South Australia ranked first in methamphetamine consumption and second in consumption of cannabis.
Victoria ranked first nationally in capital city consumption of heroin, fentanyl, excretion of ketamine, and second in consumption of cocaine, while regional Western Australia ranked first nationally in consumption of cannabis and meth.
The report found that Australians are the sixth-largest consumers of illicit drugs out of a total of 28 countries monitored.
The data was collated using wastewater samples collected between December 2022 and February 2023.
The full report can be viewed here.
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