The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) is a national illicit drug monitoring system intended to identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and forms part of Drug Trends.

This year, we have provided a summary report highlighting the key trends from the IDRS interviews conducted in Victoria. 

• Twenty-six per cent of participants reported daily use of heroin in 2018. The main route of heroin administration for those who recently consumed heroin was injecting (100%), with only 2% reporting smoking it.
• Three in four participants (77%) reported recent use of methamphetamine in 2018. This was driven by a significant increase in use of crystal methamphetamine (77%) – the most commonly used form since 2011. 

Results are not representative of all consumers or drug use in the general population and should be interpreted alongside findings from other data sources for a more complete profile of emerging trends in illicit drug use in Australia.

Recommended citation

Aitken, C. & Dietze, P. (2019). Victorian Drug Trends 2018: Patterns of drug use in the Victorian Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) Interviews. Sydney, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney. 

Participants

We would like to thank all the participants who shared their knowledge and experience with us in the present and in previous years

Funding

Drug Trends is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Drug and Alcohol Program.

Copyright

Please note that any presentation of these data should include an acknowledgement of Drug Trends at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales.

©NDARC, UNSW SYDNEY 2018

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. All other rights are reserved. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the information manager, NDARC, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia via drugtrends@unsw.edu.au. 

• VIC IDRS 2018 - Report