Key findings
- Ecstasy remains the primary drug of choice (38%), however ecstasy has continued to decline in preference since 2005. Average ecstasy use was fortnightly.
- Significantly more participants in 2010 reported access to ecstasy as being ‘difficult’ to ‘very difficult’ to obtain and purity as ‘low’ compared with 2009.
- All forms of methamphetamine remained at similarly low levels of use in terms of prevalence and frequency compared to 2009.
- Recent cocaine use has steadily increased since monitoring began in 2003 and is currently at the highest prevalence reported to date (48%). However, frequency of use remained low at three days across all states except NSW where median days was five (approximately monthly use).
- In 2010, the EDRS actively monitored the prevalence of mephedrone capsules and powder. Nationally, 16% of participants had consumed the drug in the preceding six months prior to interview. The majority of use had occurred in TAS and VIC. Frequency of use was intermittent (median days 3) and the main route of administration was oral and nasal ingestion.
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