Wastewater testing reveals increased drug use in regions

A concerning picture of drug use in regional WA has emerged from the latest national wastewater drug monitoring program report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. Analysis of wastewater samples collected in April 2024 revealed a marked increase in the consumption of illicit stimulants such as methylamphetamine, with levels surpassing pre-COVID-19 averages. Ketamine excretion also reached unprecedented highs across both urban and regional sites, suggesting a growing appetite for the drug. Regional WA’s drug landscape contrasts with trends observed elsewhere in Australia. While fentanyl and oxycodone use reached record lows nationally, stimulant and synthetic drug use in WA — especially outside Perth — remains resilient. It comes after the State Government introduced a needle-exchange program in Broome to tackle community concerns about the amount of needles discarded throughout the tourist town. ACIC chief executive Heather Cook emphasised the role of organised crime in sustaining these drug markets, estimating that illicit drug activity costs Australia $16.5 billion annually. “Much of the harm Australians suffer at the hands of organised crime is due to illicit drugs,” Ms Cook said. “These harms may include negative impacts and consequences on the physical and mental health of users and their families, related acts of violence including serious assaults and murder, property crime and dangerous traffic offences. “They threaten our community safety, they threaten the integrity of our borders, and they threaten and undermine our financial systems, government-funded programs and our most vulnerable people.”