The 2004 National drug strategy household survey shows that amphetamine-type stimulants rank second in the most recently used illegal drugs in Australia. Through the quarterly drug testing of police detainees, as part of the Drug use monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, it is possible to track changes in methylamphetamine use between 2000 and 2004. Applying a logarithmic trend indicates that the proportion of police detainees who tested positive to methylamphetamine has generally increased over this five-year period. The growth rate was greatest between 2000 and 2002, followed by a period of stabilisation between 2003 and 2004. Over this period there have always been differences across the DUMA sites in the proportion of detainees who tested positive to methylamphetamine. In 2004, East Perth and Brisbane had the highest proportion of detainees who tested positive to methylamphetamine (34 per cent of males and 44 per cent of females in East Perth, and 31 per cent of males and 47 per cent of females in Brisbane). In comparison, Bankstown had the lowest proportion of detainees who tested positive (13 per cent of males and 13 per cent of females).
Adult police detainees who tested positive to methylamphetamine, 2000-2004, per cent [see attached PDF for graph]
Source
- Schulte C, Mouzos J & Makkai T 2005. Drug use monitoring in Australia: 2004 annual report on drug use among police detainees. Research and public policy series no 65. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
Reference
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2005. 2004 National drug strategy household survey, first results. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/phe/ndshs04/ndshs04.pdf