Adelaide is the ice capital of Australia. METH, crystal, ice - whatever you call it, the signs are there for a new age of methamphetamine addiction, turning young Aussies into zombies. Sydneysiders are consuming more than twice as much cocaine as people in Melbourne and Brisbane, according to the nation's sewers.In August last year, for every 1000 people, 1.2 grams of cocaine was consumed daily in Sydney, compared with just over 400 milligrams in Melbourne and Brisbane.The figures were revealed in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's most recent examination of wastewater treatment plants across the nation, compiled in partnership with the University of Queensland and University of South Australia.It is the sixth report of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, which covers 56 per cent of the population, or 13 million people, and is concluding its second year.It found that capital city and regional locations in NSW in August last year were the only parts of Australia where cocaine consumption rivalled levels of methylamphetamine, or ice.Everywhere else, cocaine use was detected to be far below that of methylamphetamine.Nationally, more than 4.1 tonnes of cocaine was consumed between 2017 and 2018, an increase of 34.6 per cent on the previous year, worth $1.5 billion.Between August 2017 and August 2018, the study found $9.3 billion was spent on almost 10 tonnes of methylamphetamine, more than four tonnes of cocaine, 1.1 tonne of MDMA and 700kg of heroin.Of the $9.3 billion, almost 80 per cent was spent on methylamphetamine.The dollar figure is not far off the $9.8 billion Australians are estimated to spend at cafes and coffee shops in a single year, according to a recent IBIS World Australia Industry Report.Over two years the study collected samples of 13 different substances, including alcohol, nicotine, oxycodone, heroin and MDMA (or ecstasy) from 58 wastewater treatment plants.In NSW, data was collected from five wastewater plants in Sydney and seven from regional sites.Each site was allocated a code, to maintain the confidentiality of participating sites.The demand for illicit substances has not gone unnoticed by international drug dealers, with an estimated $1.29 billion worth of methylamphetamine bound for Australia seized earlier this month in the United States, just weeks after 154kg of heroin worth around $77 million was seized by Border Force officials at Sydney Airport.“It is astounding that Australians waste over $9.3 billion a year on drugs," ACIC chief executive officer Michael Phelan said.
To improve your experience An analysis of South Australia's sewage has confirmed the state's unenviable title of being the nation's biggest user of the drug ice.Analysis of the sewage of 14 million Australians across the country found methylamphetamine use was highest in South Australia, a report by the National Waste Monitoring Drug Program says.Across the nine sites monitored through August, which included a mix of regional and capital cities, Adelaide had the highest capital city consumption of ice.Cocaine and MDMA consumption also increased across the state but oxycodone consumption decreased in Adelaide. Australians are consuming more drugs than ever before. Australia's Ice And Cocaine Capitals Revealed. Adelaide is the ice capital of Australia, according an international drugs study that measured usage via a city's wastewater. The results from the latest Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report, released Monday by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), revealed methylamphetamine (otherwise known as 'ice') remains the most … Skiing began in Australia at the goldrush town of Kiandra, New South Wales, in 1861. It found that capital city and regional locations in NSW in August last year were the only parts of Australia where cocaine consumption rivalled levels of methylamphetamine, or ice. "It has become a cultural problem and we need to change people's behaviours and the best way to do that is to get them into a (rehabilitation) program," Mr Knoll told ABC radio on Thursday. The first ski tow was constructed near Mount Buffalo, Victoria, in 1936. 10 daily News Reporter . 2019-06-17T05:04:34+00:00. Skiing in Australia takes place in the high country of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the southern hemisphere winter.. "Illicit drug use is also costing Australia billions of dollars every year in lost productivity and healthcare and crime costs," Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief executive Michael Phelan said.The state government said it recognised the problem and had spent $8 million this year to tackle the issue. Of the 13 subtances surveyed, alcohol and nicotine were the most highly consumed of those measures with available dose data.In regional areas, consumption of alcohol, nicotine, methylamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis surpassed levels recorded in capital cities.Lucy Cormack is a crime reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Cocaine the drug of choice in Sydney, according to Australia's sewersNSW is consuming more than twice as much cocaine as Victoria and Queensland.The heroin blocks were allegedly hidden in crates containing straw hats and souvenir items.