Adelaide remains Australia’s meth capital according to wastewater testing but a dangerous new drug is on the rise

Adelaide remains Australia’s meth capital, wastewater analysis shows — but SA also has the highest detections of a dangerous new synthetic drug.

• December 2017: Adelaide is the ice capital of Australia
• April 2018: SA hangs on to disturbing drug crown
• February 2019: Meth, heroin and cocaine use surging in SA

South Australia has become the home of a new amphetamine-based drug with the street name “meow meow”.

According to wastewater data from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission collected in December 2018, South Australia had the highest number of mephedrone detections in the country.

The drug has similar side-effects to cocaine or MDMA use but has also been linked to numerous overdoses in Europe and the United States.

The data is collected from four sites in Adelaide and five regional sites that measured the quantities of legal and illicit substances in the wastewater.

Other results showed that Adelaide has maintained its unwanted status as the nation’s methamphetamine capital, even as the rate of use falls in rural areas.

The report also shows cannabis readings at the nine test sites were at their highest level since testing begun in 2011.

The ACIC estimated that South Australians consume 1159kg of methamphetamine per year along with 129.9kg of cocaine and 66.6kg of MDMA.

While methamphetamine use in the country dropped, the percentage of highly addictive opioid fentanyl was on the rise.

Nicotine, alcohol, cocaine and fentanyl use all fell at the Adelaide sites while MDMA, oxycodone and heroin use all increased.

ACIC chief executive Michael Phelan said the waste-monitoring program gave a valuable insight into drug use across the country.

“The Australian community continues to consume illicit drugs at concerning levels and the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program is providing an important, unified and consistent guiding tool for developing holistic drug responses,” he said.

“We are only now starting to realise the full benefits of the ongoing program.”

The program recently received $4.8m funding to ensure its continued operation.