A recent report from the Australian Institute of Criminology (Schloenhardt 2007) examined the market for amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in Oceania, and included information about the manufacture of ATS and related drugs in clandestine laboratories. The figure below shows data from the report on the detection of clandestine drug laboratories. The number of laboratories detected each financial year over the period 1996-2006 increased almost seven-fold, from 58 in 1996-97 to 390 in 2005-06. The period of greatest growth in the number of laboratories detected each year was from 2000-01 to 2002-03, with at least 50 more being detected each year than the year before. The growth in the number of discoveries slowed thereafter (up 23 to 381 laboratories in 2004-05, then up 9 to 390 in 2005-06). This reflects the growth in ATS use after 2000 and its stabilisation after 2003, as noted by the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program (Mouzos et al. 2007).
Clandestine drug laboratories detected in Australia, 1996–2006 (number) [see attached PDF for graph]
References
- Schloenhardt A 2007. The market for amphetamine-type stimulants and their precursors in Oceania. Research and public policy series no. 81. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
- Mouzos J et al 2007. Drug use monitoring in Australia: 2006 annual report on drug use among police detainees. Research and public policy series no. 75. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology