Australia’s Illicit Drug Consumption Hits Record High

Editor in Chief

7 months ago

Ice, cocaine, heroin use surge despite $11.5 billion market dip

Australia’s consumption of methylamphetamine (“ice”), cocaine, MDMA, and heroin has soared to record highs, according to the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 24 by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

The program — based on wastewater analysis from 61 treatment plants covering about 57% of the population — provides the country’s most comprehensive picture of illicit drug markets, tracking trends for 12 substances over the past eight years.

Data collected in August and October 2024 shows that while the overall market value of the four key drugs fell slightly to $11.5 billion (down from $12.4 billion in Year 7), total consumption increased by 5.6 tonnes — a 34% jump.

This rise comes despite significant law enforcement seizures, often exceeding domestic consumption levels.

State of the Market

The report paints a picture of a robust and resilient illicit drug supply chain:

Methylamphetamine and cocaine manufacturing and cultivation are at record highs, particularly from the Americas and Asia.
Domestic MDMA production is rising alongside traditional imports from Europe.
The heroin market remains dominated by high-quality product from Southeast Asia.

Authorities expect reliable supplies of all four major drugs to continue in the near term.

State-by-State Snapshot – Peak Daily Consumption (Year 8)

(per 1,000 people, per day – ACIC Wastewater Report 24)

State/Territory	Methamphetamine (mg)	Cocaine (mg)	MDMA (mg)	Heroin (mg)	Notable Trend
NSW	3,500	18	2,000	7	Highest cocaine use nationally (Sydney), meth strong in capitals
ACT	—	2.0	600	3.5	Smaller but steadily growing MDMA and heroin use
VIC	3,500	3.0	2,000	—	Melbourne rivals Sydney in MDMA, remains heroin capital
QLD	—	—	—	—	Regional meth hotspots, strong MDMA use in SE QLD

Key Insights

NSW dominates the cocaine market in both volume and growth, with Sydney still the clear leader. Methamphetamine use is also deeply entrenched, particularly in metropolitan areas.
ACT shows a smaller but steadily increasing drug market, especially for MDMA, while heroin use is also on the rise.
Victoria’s MDMA consumption rivals NSW, while Melbourne continues to be the heroin capital.
Queensland remains home to significant regional meth hotspots and strong MDMA consumption in the south-east, though the public data does not reveal peak daily mg figures for all drugs.

National Trends in Context

Despite record seizures and billions of taxpayer dollars spent on enforcement, national figures from the ACIC show that the four major drugs tracked — ice, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin — recorded substantial year-on-year increases in estimated consumption:

Methylamphetamine (Ice)

Estimated national consumption: 12,815 kg — up 21% from Year 7.
Higher usage in capital cities compared to regional areas.

Cocaine

Estimated national consumption: 6,835 kg — up 69%, the largest jump among all substances.
Strongly concentrated in capital city markets.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Estimated national consumption: 1,430 kg — up 49%.
Higher usage in urban centres, with increased domestic manufacturing detected.

Heroin

Estimated national consumption: 1,137 kg — up 14% from Year 7.
Maintains consistently high quality due to Southeast Asian supply chains.

The ACIC notes that this is the highest total consumption recorded since the program began, underlining the resilience of illicit drug supply chains despite enforcement efforts.

Political Pressure Mounts After Record NSW Drug Use

The release of the Year 8 wastewater data has sparked immediate political reaction, particularly in New South Wales, where cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin consumption are among the highest in the country. Greens MP and drug harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann says the report should end any complacency about the state’s drug policy direction.

Between August 2023 and August 2024, Australians consumed an estimated 22.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin — the largest annual total since monitoring began in 2016, and a 34% jump in just 12 months.

NSW played a central role in those figures: Sydney recorded the highest cocaine use of any Australian capital, regional NSW topped the country for heroin, and methamphetamine use increased 10% to more than 3.6 tonnes in a single year.

“The delay in reforming our drug laws to save lives is inexcusable,” Faehrmann said, accusing the NSW Government of ignoring recommendations from the two-year Ice Inquiry handed down in January 2020. “Sydney’s cocaine habit is higher than ever, cementing its title as the cocaine capital of Australia. We’re talking a billion-dollar market fuelling organised crime, driving violence and costing lives.”

Marijuana Arrest Nimbin © Mark Anning photo 2020

Calls to Treat Drug Use as a Health Issue, Not a Crime

Faehrmann says the latest results are “the strongest evidence yet” that the so-called war on drugs is failing — a costly law-and-order treadmill that has delivered more users, more drugs, and more profits for organised crime.

The Greens are calling for fully funded treatment services, an expansion of harm-reduction measures such as pill testing and supervised injecting centres, and an overhaul of drug diversion laws to keep users out of the criminal system.

“We need to stop treating people who use drugs as criminals and start treating this as the health and social issue that it is,” Faehrmann said.

“Every day the Minns Government kicks the can down the road instead of introducing the sensible measures that experts have been calling for for years now is another day that lives are wrecked because of their inaction.”

📄 Read the full ACIC report here: National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 24
📊 Snapshot PDF: Wastewater Report 24 Snapshot