Sydney and NSW more widely are very proud of our sporting achievements and other titles, but when the records come from drug testing of NSW’s stormwater system, there are some titles we’d prefer not to hold.
Following the release of Report 21 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, 2023 statistics have been collated to reveal just how many kilograms of drugs Australians consume. It’s not a pretty picture nationwide, nor is it a pretty picture for NSW.
During Year 7 of the stormwater drug testing program, it’s been revealed that NSW people consumed an estimated 3291 kilograms of methylamphetamine, 1934 kilograms of cocaine, 334 kilograms of MDMA and 366 kilograms of heroin.
If it sounds like a lot of illegal drugs, it is, and was enough to see us set the record for all states for methylamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA. Only Victoria stopped us from a clean sweep of the four major drugs, with their higher consumption of heroin.
While part of NSW’s ‘record-breaking’ achievements can be put down to population, what can’t be denied is an increase in the use of many drugs in the state. From Year 6 of the stormwater drug testing program to Year 7 (2022 to 2023), the estimated use of methylamphetamine rose by 13%, cocaine by 19% and MDMA by a massive 43%. The only good news is that the use of heroin was slightly down and the use of cannabis stable.
The release of the wastewater drug testing Report 21 also highlights that NSW had the highest average regional consumption of cocaine, methylamphetamine and heroin.
Storm water drug testing program takes in more than half the population
The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program takes in a significant part of the Australian population. For the latest report, released last week, monitoring took place in August 2023 and took in around 14.5 million Australians. That’s approximately 57% of the population.
To conduct the drug testing, 62 wastewater sites around Australia were monitored. In NSW, this included 14 sites.
National highlights of Report 21 include:
- The average consumption of cocaine, MDA, heroin and ketamine was higher in capital city areas.
- The average consumption of alcohol, nicotine, MDMA, methylamphetamine, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis was higher in regional areas than in capital cities.
- There was an equal record low consumption of alcohol in regional areas.
- There was a record high consumption of cocaine in regional areas.
- Between Report 20 and Report 21, in capital cities, consumption of alcohol, nicotine, methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, MDA and ketamine went down. Heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis use went up.
- In regional areas, consumption of alcohol, MDA, oxycodone and ketamine went down, which nicotine, methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, heroin, fentanyl and cannabis usage was up.
- In Year 7 of the program nationally, consumption of methylamphetamines, cocaine, MDMA and heroin increased by a combined 2.3 tonnes, or 17% of the combined weight.
- The estimated street value of methylamphetamines, cocaine, MDMA and heroin in Year 7 was $12.4 billion. That’s up from $10 billion in the previous year.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
There are some achievements that NSW doesn’t want, including our record-breaking consumption of drugs. Credit Ivan Bandura https://unsplash.com/photos/top-view-of-concrete-structures-Ac97OqAWDvg (image modified)
