New drug of choice

High use in regional Qld

QUEENSLAND has the highest use of the drug Ketamine in regional areas across the country, according to the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.

The often-abused prescription drug is more widely used in capital cities across the country than the country, but one unnamed regional city in Queensland has shown a spike in use with the highest average per capita, according to the report, by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

Methylamphetamine remains the most popular drug in Brisbane as well as regional areas.

The report also shows that Melbourne is the ecstasy capital city of Australia, Sydney is the cocaine capital and Adelaide is the meth capital.

Darwin had the highest use of nicotine in the country and consumed the most cannabis, while Tasmania took the most fentanyl.

The ACIC report which is researched with data collected by the Universities of Queensland and South Australia showed overall in Queensland drug use has risen three per cent in the past year, while most other states had experienced sharp falls, particularly in cocaine.

The ACIC believes the drop in cocaine use is because of the huge drug busts that have taken place around the country last year, not because of any decrease in demand for the drugs.

Queensland Police drug raids carried out a number of covert drug operations last year.

In August, police busted a large trafficking operation selling cocaine and methylamphetamine in the Redlands and Greater Brisbane areas.

The 12-month sting resulted in nine people charged with 52 offences.

Australians spent about $10 billion on drugs in 2022 buying more than 14 tonnes of just four drugs – methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), and heroin. It was a slight decrease on the previous year according to the report.