Victorians are taking more drugs than any other Australians
- Victoria has recorded the highest use of MDMA and oxycodone in Australia
- The state has also ranked second highest nationally in cocaine consumption
- Australians consumed 9,847 kilograms of meth in the year ended August 2018
Urban Victorians consume more heroin than other Australians and the state’s regions have recorded the highest use of MDMA and oxycodone.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s seventh report of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program shows Victoria has the highest average capital city consumption and second highest average regional consumption of heroin nationally.
The state also had the highest average regional consumption of MDMA and oxycodone and the second highest average capital city consumption of cocaine in the country.
The ACIC report covers about 12.6 million people, or 54 per cent of the population, and examined wastewater at 50 treatment plants across the nation for 13 substances.
‘The Australian community continues to consume illicit drugs at concerning levels,’ ACIC chief Michael Phelan said in a statement.
While Victoria is ahead on heroin, MDMA and oxycodone consumption, the national figures point to nicotine and alcohol as the most highly consumed drugs as measured by the program.
Of the illegal drugs, methylamphetamine remains the highest one consumed by far.
Australians consumed 9,847 kilograms of meth in the year ended August 2018, the fresh analysis of wastewater data found.
This was followed by 4,115kg of cocaine, 1,162kg of MDMA and 750kg of cocaine.
Of the states, NSW led the country in cocaine consumption, Queensland and South Australia favoured fentanyl while the Northern Territory had the highest consumption of alcohol and nicotine.
Western Australia continued to produce some of the highest meth consumption levels in capital city and regional areas while Tasmania had the highest average capital city consumption of MDMA, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis nationally.