TASSIE’S DRUGS HABIT EXPOSED
TASMANIANS are the nation’s biggest users of oxycodone — the painkiller known as “hillbilly heroin”, according to a Criminal Intelligence Commission study which also found consumption of the drug ice has increased in Hobart.
TESTING the sewage of Tasmanians has revealed we are the nation’s biggest users of oxycodone — the morphine-based painkiller known as “hillbilly heroin”.
An Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission report also found consumption of the drug ice increased in Hobart but decreased in regional Tasmania.
The report revealed sewage testing in 23 countries around the world identified Austra- lians as the second-highest users of the four most common illegal stimulant drugs.
Only American drug users snort, smoke and swallow more ice, speed, ecstasy and cocaine than Australian.
Users in the US have 78 hits of the stimulants a day per 1000 people, compared with Australians at 40 hits a day, the Dutch on 37, the Swiss on 30 and Brits on 28.
The drug report, which is being released today, contains the results of secret wastewater testing at the inlets of 47 un- identified sewage treatment plants around the nation.
Urine and faeces excreted by more than 12.8 million Australians was tested to get the drug use figures in the report.
Wastewater testing is considered by experts around the world to be the most accurate way of measuring what illegal drugs are being taken and where they are being consumed.
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief executive Mike Phelan said police, health and other agen- cies used the wastewater testing results to shape their responses to the demand and supply side of Australia’s huge illicit drug problem.
“We estimate that 92kg of methylamphetamine (mainly in its crystal form, known as ice) is consumed in Tasmania each year, as well as 32kg of MDMA (ecstasy), 15.5kg of cocaine and 2.1kg of heroin,” he said.
“Transnational serious and organised crime groups profit from importing, trafficking, manufacturing and selling drugs. Wastewater analysis provides a measure of demand for a range of drugs. This allows governments to effectively direct resources to priority areas and monitor the progress of demand and supply reduction strategies.”
The report also revealed: USE in regional Tasmania of the deadly drug fentanyl (the synthetic opiate drug which is 80 times more potent than morphine and killed musician Prince in 2016) has gone from four hits a day per 1000 people to eight hits since December. PEOPLE living in Australian cities consume more cocaine and heroin than their country cousins — but Australians in rural areas take more nicotine, alcohol, ice, ecstasy, oxycodone and fentanyl than city slickers. AUSTRALIANS consume an estimated 8.4 tonnes of methylamphetamine (mainly ice) a year as well as 3 tonnes of cocaine, 1.2 tonnes of ecstasy pills and 765kg of heroin. AUSTRALIANS are ninth on the world league table of biggest drinkers on 15 litres of alcohol a day per 1000 people.