Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report reveals huge illegal drug use

SEWAGE testing has revealed Australians are now using more than 8.3 tonnes of the deadly drug ice a year, along with a high consumption of cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.

SEWAGE testing has revealed Australians are now using more than 8.3 tonnes of the deadly drug ice a year.

An Australian Criminal ­Intelligence Commission report being released today shows the highly addictive drug is by far the most consumed illicit drug in the nation.

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It reveals country Victorians are using ice at a much higher rate than those living in every other area of Australia.

Rural Victorians in one of the areas tested are taking up to 130 doses of ice a day per 1000 people, compared with the national average of up to 40 doses per 1000 people.

Wastewater testing is considered to be the most accurate way of measuring which illegal drugs are being taken — and where.

Cocaine use is also soaring among Australians.

The ACIC report contains the results of the testing of the sewage of 12.7 million Australians from 45 wastewater treatment sites across Australia in October and December last year.

One of the main reasons the ACIC conducts the testing is to flush out the cooks responsible for making the deadly methylamphetamine-based drug.

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The ACIC report, which has been seen by the Herald Sun, also revealed:

COCAINE use is rising, with Australians now snorting more than three tonnes per year.

AUSTRALIANS are popping just under 1.3 tonnes of ecstasy pills and injecting 765kg of heroin a year.

HEROIN consumption in Melbourne is the highest of any capital city, with up to 11 hits per 1000 people per day, compared with the national average of up to four hits.

AUSTRALIANS in regional areas are using more nicotine, ice, the ecstasy-like stimulant MDA, oxycodone and fentanyl than those in capital cities.

COCAINE usage has doubled in capital cities since August 2016, with an almost three fold increase in regional Australia.

Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief Mike Phelan says ice consumption has increased.

ACIC chief executive Mike Phelan said average consumption of ice in Australia had increased since August last year.

Mr Phelan warned that the wastewater testing details ­revealed in the ACIC report showed an “enduring demand” for illegal drugs in Australia.

“They again reinforce that no single strategy in isolation can achieve sustained impacts and the ongoing necessity to employ a shared approach that targets supply, demand and harm reduction,” he said.

“Law enforcement agencies have made some significant seizures in the past 12 months. This shows that the supply side is robust and there needs to be a continued effort on demand reduction.

“Over time, this program will provide a solid baseline to enable clear trends in consumption patterns to be identified.”

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The groundbreaking ACIC study involved collecting raw wastewater samples at the inlets of sewage treatment plants in rural and metropolitan sites and then chemically analysing those samples for illegal drugs.

When an illicit drug is taken — irrespective of whether it is swallowed, snorted, smoked or injected — it is processed by the liver into metabolite.

Metabolite is then excreted into the toilet through the urine and faeces of drug users and flushed into the sewerage system.

Launching the ACIC report today, Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor said it provided police and other agencies with a more accurate understanding of the demand for illicit drugs across the states and territories.

“Proportionally, methylamphetamine consumption is generally higher in regional areas than in capital cities and accurately identifying the worst affected areas ensures we can more effectively target our law enforcement and prevention strategies and measure their impact,” he said.

“We know drug traffickers are increasingly global while maintaining local distribution networks, so we need to be more sophisticated than ever before in our fight against this devastating scourge.

“The increased co-ordination of our law enforcement agencies, enhanced by the establishment of the Home Affairs portfolio and our stronger partnerships with international agencies has resulted in record seizures in the past year, disrupting the supply of these harmful drugs to our local communities, families, and children.

“This program is one of the best in the world, and Australia is one of the only countries where a wastewater analysis program is fully funded by the government.

“Meth continues to pose significant challenges for our community, and a multifaceted approach drawing on global best practice is crucial if we are going to protect our communities from these illicit drugs.”

Mr Taylor said the Turnbull Government was investing almost $300 million to support actions resulting from the National Ice Action Strategy to improve treatment, after care, education, prevention and community engagement.

Following a recommendation by the National Ice Taskforce, the ACIC received $3.6 million under the Commonwealth Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to develop a national program to monitor drug consumption through wastewater for a three-year period.

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