The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program (the Program) commenced in August 2016 and provides leading-edge, coordinated national research and intelligence on illicit drugs and licit drugs that can be abused, with a specific focus on methylamphetamine and other high-risk substances. The Program is funded from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s annual budgetary allocation.
Wastewater analysis is widely applied internationally as a tool to measure and interpret drug use within national populations. The Program gives us valuable insight into trends in drug consumption across Australia and can identify new sources of threat.
By analysing the findings of the Program, government, law enforcement, health, education and community organisations will be able to start a national conversation about drug trends and develop targeted policies.
Longitudinal data figures, by state and territory and drug type, have been included since Report 11, and updated with each report. These figures make it easier to view drug consumption for individual states and territories and can be downloaded from the report page.
Wastewater provides an important, timely and consistent guiding tool for developing holistic drug responses.