The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has released its latest report from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.
The report reveals that consumption of methylamphetamine and cocaine has increased across Australia although nicotine and alcohol remain the highest consumed substances.
Launching the report, the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cyber Security, Angus Taylor said the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program continued to provide Government, health and law enforcement Agencies, and the community, with a clear picture of drug consumption across Australia.
It showed that general, heroin consumption was lower than the pharmaceutical opioids — fentanyl and oxycodone — with average regional consumption of fentanyl and oxycodone exceeding that in capital city sites.
Chief Executive of ACIC, Michael Phelan said the Commission’s partners had used wastewater results to target locations for policy initiatives, testing the appropriateness of resource allocation and prioritisation decisions, and as a means of reliably and regularly measuring the demand for certain illicit commodities.
“Analysis of wastewater data has enabled us to estimate the annual national consumption of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and heroin,” Mr Phelan said.
“Such estimates can then be compared with other data, such as the weight of drugs seized by law enforcement, to further enrich our collective understanding of these drug markets and identify the most effective supply, demand and harm reduction measures.”
He said the report covered 54 per cent of the population, which equated to about 12.7 million people.
“As one of the only countries in the world where wastewater analysis receives full funding from the Government, we are grateful to the Australian Government for allowing us to develop and share this picture of drug use in Australia,” Mr Phelan said.
The ACIC’s 66-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
