CANBERRA, Australia, Feb 20 (NNN-XINHUA) – Australians are spending billions of dollars on illicit drugs every year, an analysis of the nation’s wastewater revealed.
The sixth annual Wastewater Drug Monitoring Programme report found that, Australians consumed 9.6 tonnes of methylamphetamine, four tonnes of cocaine, 1.1 tonnes of MDMA and 750 kilograms of heroin, in the 12 months to Aug, 2018, with a street value of 9.3 billion Australian dollars (6.67 billion U.S. dollars).
According to the report, released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commssion (ACIC), consumption of methylamphetamine, commonly known as ice, was up 17 percent from the previous year, and the amount of cocaine used rose 34.6 percent, while MDMA and heroin consumption fell 7.1 and 9.6 percent, respectively.
“It is astounding that Australians waste over 9.3 billion dollars a year on drugs,” ACIC Commissioner, Michael Phelan, told reporters on Wednesday (today).
“This is money people could be spending on legitimate goods for themselves and their families.
“As the programme continues to build long-term drug consumption data, fluctuations in consumption are evident.
“Understanding local drug consumption patterns, assists law enforcement, policy, regulatory and health agencies develop targeted supply, demand and harm-reduction strategies.”
ACIC collected data from 58 wastewater stations, covering 56 percent of Australia’s population, approximately 13 million people.
It found that cocaine and heroin were more popular in capital cities, while consumption of nicotine, alcohol, ice, MDMA, MDA, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis was higher in regional areas.
New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s two biggest states, consumed the most cocaine and heroin on per capita basis, while Western Australia again had the highest average ice consumption.
The consumption of most of the 13 substances monitored by ACIC increased between Apr and Aug, 2018.– NNN-XINHUA
