The wash up: Sewage testing flushes out nation's drug hot spots
Sewage testing by the nation’s crime intelligence agency has revealed the shocking extent of drug usage across the country and the insatiable appetite for party drugs in city centres.
For the first time in Australia’s history, scientific testing have been performed on wastewater around the nation, exposing drug hot spots and also drugs of choice, News Corp reports.
The results are driven by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) in partnership with university researchers and the testing is being undertaken as part of the National Ice Taskforce’s investigation on the widespread use of illicit drugs.
Methylamphetamine is the highest consumed illicit drug across Australia, while oxycodone and fentanyl use is rising to alarming levels, a national wastewater study shows.
Western Australia has the highest level of meth use, with both city and regional sites far exceeding national averages.
Regional areas in Victoria and Queensland showed higher than average oxycodone levels, while fentanyl use in regional areas in NSW, South Australia and WA were higher than average.
Across Australia more than 50 sites were reportedly tested.
The way sewerage systems are constructed allows officials to identify specific suburbs that the sewage originates from.
According to News Corp, Sydney is officially the cocaine capital of Australia.
“Cocaine consumption in capital city sites in NSW dominated the national landscape, being almost double the next highest region in terms of doses consumed per day,” the report said.
Oxycodone, commonly referred to as “hillbilly heroin”, and the highly addictive drug fentanyl were also found to be at “concerning levels” across all states and territories, but especially in regional areas of Australia.
According to News Corp, tests show that for every 1000 people in regional Queensland drug users are taking about 35 hits a day, compared to about 25 a day in the city.
The extensive testing found spikes in cocaine usage on weekends, with ice and prescription painkillers used consistently each day.
Newsbreak – March 26
