Since 2016, the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission has been monitoring 64 wastewater treatment facilities, using its findings to calculate the estimated drug use habits of just over half the population (14.5million people).
A new report, released this week, monitors the period between August 2024 - August 2025. It found a staggering amount of public money sunk into recreational drugs, as well as an alarming and continued uptick in methamphetamine.
Money money money: According to the report, the estimated street value of methamphetamine consumed in the 2025 financial year works out to $11.05 billion.
Number two: Out of 34 countries tested, Australia was the second largest user of methamphetamine, only behind the United States. However, 45 cities were studied in Australia, compared to just the one in the US.
The report estimated that out of every 1000 Australians, 44.6 take a daily 30mg dose of methamphetamine.
Limitations: According to the water testing, 15,791kg of methamphetamine was consumed across the country in the 2025 financial year, a 23 percent increase on the year before.
Because wastewater testing can only look at the volume of drugs consumed, we can’t know for sure if there was an increase in users based on this data alone.
According to Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute, Nicole Lee, population survey data shows decrease in use over 15 years.
However, people needing treatment and meth-related ambulance callouts have increased alongside more potent forms of the drug being used by a smaller group of people.
Health Issue? Not all states are equal when it comes to dealing with the rise in drug use. Queensland’s state government recently made changes to its drug intervention program, scrapping a three strikes rule that gave offenders the opportunity to access help before being put in front of a judge.
This decision went against advice from the state’s peak medical body, the AMAQ, which recommended drug use be treated as a public health issue.