Party drugs on rise in regional Queensland
Ice has been seen as the big drug problem in regional Queensland. But a new report from the nation's top cops shows it’s a party drug that’s on the rise, with regional Queensland becoming the national hotspot for its consumption.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
REGIONAL Queensland is party drug central as the national hotspot for MDMA drugs including ecstasy.
A spike in MDMA use has seen regional Queensland record the highest regional consumption of the pills in the nation.
Brisbane drug raid: 8 charged for over 100 offences
Drugs found in chocolate wrap after prisoner’s stockpile seized
It is revealed in Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission National Wastewater Drug Monitoring report due out today.
Booze, cigarettes and marijuana use were up across the state in the three months leading to December, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Sydney remains the cocaine capital of the nation with its use reaching “historical high levels”.
The report found a growing problem with MDMA use, also known as ecstasy, pingers and molly, with use of the drug having more than doubled since 2016.
“Use of MDMA has increased in regional parts of Australia, reaching its highest levels since the commencement of the program during the current reporting period (in 2016),” the report stated.
Australia’s MDMA use, of 3.1 doses per 1000 people per day, was higher than most European nations and the US.
Only the Netherlands and Czechia were using more, while New Zealand and UK were the next highest international users on just over two doses per 1000 people per day.
“MDMA usage was relatively low across most sites but tended to be higher in regional locations … One site in Queensland had very high levels for the second time in two years,” the report stated.
Test sites in the study are de-identified so it is not known which region had this issue.
But it found that Queensland had the highest average regional consumption of MDMA.
Cocaine consumption was has been dropping nationally and is particularly low in regional parts of Queensland.
Sydney was the exception, which reached “historical high levels in the state” in December 2019.
“Australians continue to consume illicit drugs at increasing levels,” Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief executive officer Mr Michael Phelan said.
The study tests wastewater at wastewater treatment sites across the country looking for traces of the drugs. It includes three sites in Brisbane and 10 wastewater sites in regional Queensland.