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Victorian Drug Trends 2013: Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS)

Image: Illicit Drug Reporting System logo
Author: Shelley Cogger, Paul Dietze, Belinda Lloyd

Resource Type: Drug Trends Jurisdictional Reports

The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) monitors trends in the illicit drug market in Australia. The IDRS was implemented nationally in Australia following a successful pilot study in Sydney in 1996 (Hando, O'Brien, Darke et al., 1997) and trials in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in 1997 (Hando and Darke, 1998). In the year 2000, the IDRS study was carried out in all Australian states and territories, with each jurisdiction conducting a survey with people who inject drugs (PWID), interviewing key experts (KE) and incorporating routinely collected indicator data from secondary sources. The IDRS is conducted annually in each Australian state and territory.
 
The IDRS triangulates three forms of data: (a) a survey of approximately 100 PWID; (b) interviews with KE, with expert knowledge of drug markets; and (c) indicator data sources relating to illicit drug trends in Victoria.
 
The primary aims of the 2013 Victorian IDRS were:
  • To document patterns of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis use, and illicit drug market characteristics (i.e. price, purity, and availability) among PWID in Victoria
  • To identify drug-related harms and relevant trends among this population
  • To detect emerging drug trends of national significance that may require further in-depth investigation