Melbourne: Australia’s Ecstasy Capital… Again

Melbourne has once again been named the ecstasy capital of Australia, according to the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program.

Meanwhile, the report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) found regional Victoria had the second highest use in the country for nicotine, MDMA, heroin and ketamine.

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Despite ecstasy use dropping by 16 per cent, Melburnians used 194kgs of the drug in 2022.

Cocaine use also dropped by 21 per cent, the ACIC noting it believed it was because of major drug busts to take place across Australia last year.

Heroin and methylamphetamine use in Victoria’s capital was found to increase by 13 and eight per cent respectively.

Across the country, Sydney was found as the cocaine capitol, Adelaide the methylamphetamine capital, Queensland the ketamine capital, Darwin consumed the highest nicotine and cannabis while Tasmania was the fentanyl capital.

More than 14 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) and heroin was consumed in Year 6 of the Program to August 2022, with an estimated street value of $10 billion.

While this represents a 10 per cent reduction in total consumption from Year 5 (2020–21), there were increases in national methylamphetamine and heroin consumption from Year 5 to Year 6 of the Program.

“This is a concerning amount, both in terms of economic cost – the actual expenditure on drugs – and the cost to the community – through violence, road trauma, property crime, illness, injury and deaths associated with illicit drug use,” Acting ACIC CEO Matt Rippon said.

The full report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission can be viewed here.

For free advice on drug and alcohol treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.

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