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Australia finds record meth, cocaine, heroin use in wastewater analysis

Heroin Australia Cocaine ACIC

Australian Federal Police guard $525m worth of crystal methamphetamine and heroin after smashing a Hong Kong-based international drugs syndicate in Sydney on July 31, 2012 [Torsten Blackwood/AFP]

There has been a sharp rise in drug use among Australians, with cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin consumption all hitting record levels, according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s (ACIC) latest wastewater analysis.

Published on Friday, the ACIC’s annual report revealed that Australians consumed an estimated 22.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA (commonly known as “ecstasy”) between August 2023 and August 2024.

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