Drug driver confessions that will shock Melbourne

Melbourne’s drug drivers have revealed the deadly drugs they are most likely to take before getting behind the wheel — and it’s not what you would expect.

Almost two-thirds of Melburnians who regularly inject drugs and have access to a car admit to drug driving.

Almost two-thirds of Melburnians who regularly inject illicit substances and have access to a car have admitted to drug driving, new data shows.

The 2023 Victorian Drug Trends Report from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre revealed the results of detailed interviews of 150 Melburnians who had injected drugs several times in the past six months.

Among those who drive (one-third of participants), 63 per cent admitted to hitting the road within three hours of using an illicit substance with heroin and crystal meth the most popular drug of choice.

Self-reported drink-driving was low.

The centre, based at the University of New South Wales, found more than 95 per cent of the Melbourne group rated these drugs as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to obtain.

Of those who reported recent heroin use, almost four in five took the drug at least once a week. 30 per cent took the drug daily.

Almost two-thirds of users surveyed said they were at a private home when they last injected, while 13 per cent used the safe injecting room.

The same percentage reported shooting up in a street, car park or beach.

The report reveals 92 per cent of surveyed users were unemployed, while one in four were homeless.

Almost a quarter had overdosed in the past year, while one in five had used naloxone to resuscitate somebody else who overdosed.

Half of were currently receiving drug treatment, while a similar number (55 per cent) had a recent mental health issue. One third said they had faced stigma from a health service due to their drug use.

Among those who reported a mental health issue; anxiety, depression and PTSD were the most common diagnosis.

The majority of participants reported taking two or more drugs — including alcohol — at once, which increases their risk of harm.

In the day prior to their interview, 69 per cent of participants said they two or more drugs. The most popular combination (one in five people surveyed) was cannabis and opioids.