Trends in methamphetamine use, markets and harms in Australia, 2003–2019

Abstract

Introduction. To describe trends in methamphetamine use, markets and harms in Australia from 2003 to 2019. Methods. Data comprised patterns of use and price from sentinel samples of people who inject drugs and who use MDMA/other illicit stimulants and population-level amphetamine-related police seizures, arrests, hospitalisations, treatment episodes and deaths from approximately 2003 to 2019. Bayesian autoregressive time-series models were analysed for: no change; constant rate of change; and change over time differing in rate after one to three changepoints. Related indicators were analysed post hoc with identical changepoints. Results. The percentage of people who inject drugs reporting weekly use increased from 2010 to 2013 onwards, while use among samples of people who regularly use ecstasy and other illicit stimulants decreased. Seizures and arrests rose steeply from around 2009/10 to 2014/15 and subsequently plateaued. Price increased ($15.9 [95% credible interval, CrI $9.9, $28.9] per point of crystal per year) from around 2009 to 2011, plateauing and then declining from around 2017. Hospitalisation rates increased steeply from around 2009/10 until 2015/16, with a small subsequent decline. Treatment also increased (19.8 episodes [95% CrI 13.2, 27.6] with amphetamines as the principal drug of concern per 100 000 persons per year) from 2010/11 onwards. Deaths involving amphetamines increased (0.285 per 100 000 persons per year) from 2012 until 2016. Discussion and Conclusions. These findings suggest that problematic methamphetamine use and harms escalated from 2010 to 2012 onwards in Australia, with continued demand and a sustained market for methamphetamine. [Correction added on 30 May 2022, after first online publication: In the Abstract under 'Discussion and Conclusions' 'onwards' has been added after … 2010 to 2012].

“There’s a big tag on my head”: exploring barriers to treatment seeking with women who use methamphetamine in Sydney, Australia

“…The use of methamphetamine is a growing public health concern globally [1], with methamphetamine related death rates increasing in Australia from 0.14 to 0.44 per 100,000 population between 2012 and 2016 [2]. Harms associated with methamphetamine use include depression, anxiety, psychosis, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease [3,4], and the development of methamphetamine use disorder [5,6].…”

Health and social characteristics of clients reporting amphetamine type substance use at entry to public alcohol and other drug services in New South Wales, Australia, 2016–2019

“…All data included here are self‐reported by clients, and while the ATOP has been validated in Australian AOD treatment settings, there is always the possibility that some clients have erred in their responses. Moreover, our data represent a 3‐year ‘snapshot’ and do not account for changes occurring over a longer period, such as changes in the methamphetamine market [ 4 ]. Any cohort study that recruits over a 3‐year period is subject to potential environmental changes over time, including drug market changes, and changes in AOD service systems (e.g., establishment of new services, closure of services, or changes in models of care).…”

“…The increased availability and use of methamphetamine has been associated with a concurrent increase in harms, and more recently these harms have plateaued or declined slightly [ 3 , 4 ]. Overall, emergency department presentations and public hospital admissions for methamphetamine use in New South Wales (NSW) remain substantially higher than they were a decade ago, as have the number of ATS‐related deaths [ 5 ].…”

Disruption to Australian heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy markets with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions

“…Six years of data pre-pandemic (2014-2019) were included to elucidate trends prior to pandemic-related restrictions (2014 was the earliest year ecstasy crystal market indicator data were collected). Previous analyses suggest that market indicator data for heroin, crystal methamphetamine and cocaine were generally consistent in the years preceding 2014 ( Man et al, 2021 ; Man et al, 2022 ; Sutherland, Uporova, et al, 2022a ).…”