Home / Crime and Justice / WA Leads Nation in Meth Use Despite Record Drug Consumption
WA Leads Nation in Meth Use Despite Record Drug Consumption
3 May
Summary
- Western Australia regions show highest methamphetamine consumption nationally.
- National wastewater data reveals record highs for meth, cocaine, and heroin.
- Illicit drug market continues growing, driven by transnational criminal networks.

Western Australia's regions have again registered the highest rates of methamphetamine consumption nationwide. This finding emerges from the ninth annual report of a long-running wastewater monitoring program, which surveyed approximately 57 percent of the Australian population over the year from August 2024 to 2025. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's latest analysis highlights record-high consumption of meth, cocaine, and heroin across the country. Chief executive Heather Cook stated that Australia's illicit drug market is experiencing continuous growth, primarily driven by transnational criminal organizations and a persistent, elevated demand for major illicit substances throughout the nation.