James Fetherston presented key findings from the 2018 Western Australia Illicit Drug Reporting System interviews as part of a National Drug Research Institute public seminar on Thursday, 28 February.
Key conclusions include:
- The demographic characteristics of the sample are largely unchanged, although we are continuing to see progressively older people in the sample.
- Heroin remains the primary drug of choice and the drug most injected, although methamphetamine continues to increase in this regard. The use of other opiates continues to decline.
- Recent use of methamphetamine is almost totally accounted for by crystal methamphetamine, possibly driven by recent falls in price and ongoing ‘easy’ availability. Numbers reporting overdose remain low.
- Cocaine use remains low and appears to be sporadic and opportunistic in the Perth sample.
- Recent use of cannabis has increased although numbers using daily have declined.