Backed Up: Waste water study confirms Sydney's growing coke problem

Despite a number of high-profile drug busts and regular awareness campaigns, a study of Australian wastewater has revealed that recreational drug use continues to rise across the nation.  

Sydney is leading the nation in a few categories, ranking first for cocaine, MDMA and tobacco consumption, while coming second in meth use.

Of the 28 countries monitored in the global study, Australia is ranked the sixth-highest consumer of illicit drugs.

The study examined 57 treatment plants across the nation, giving them access to the wastewater of approximately 55 per cent of Australians across both state capitals and regional areas. The research actually showed that per capita consumption of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana was often higher in regional areas, while drugs widely-perceived as 'more dangerous' are seen as a cosmopolitan issue - though there are instances across the country that are contrary to these trends.

While cannabis use is on a per-capita decline, it's still a clear leader as the most-consumed 'illicit' drug in the country.

The study has also had a benefit for law enforcement amid their ongoing battle with the drug trade, with the waste water combining with other data to provide "the most comprehensive, empirically-based insights into Australian drug markets," according to acting ACIC Chief Matthew Rippon.

"This underlines the ongoing threat posed by organised crime groups and their responsiveness to perceived market opportunities and the large illicit profits to be derived from Australian illicit drug users," Rippon said.

As well as detecting common illicit substances, the study has also had another benefit, helping with the detection of new, altered drugs that have been altered from standard 'recipes', with seven new substances found in Australia alone this year, per UQ.

It remains to be seen what is done with the data from both a law enforcement and policy-development perspective. The decriminalisation of marijuana is an area being examined for regulation, while the use of substances like MDMA as a treatment for psychological disorders and mental illness is still being investigated.