Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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The traffic in and abuse of illicit drugs results in significant social and financial costs to individuals and the community. To minimise the harm associated with illicit drug activity there is close cooperation between the Commonwealth Government, the state and territory governments, the various police services and other law enforcement agencies. Included in these is the ACS which has, among other things, responsibility for the enforcement of laws controlling the import and export of illicit drugs. These agencies direct particular attention to monitoring the various types and forms of illicit drugs and identifying emerging patterns of use through the analysis of law enforcement data on illicit drug seizures and arrests.

As table 11.14 shows, in 2000-01 by far the largest category of drug arrests involved cannabis offences, with 54,017 offenders (69% of the national total). The next largest categories of arrests involved amphetamine offences ('speed'), with 8,851 offenders (11% of the national total), and heroin offences (7,396 or 9%).

Victoria's arrest rate of 83.7 per 100,000 persons for heroin and other opioids was the highest for any of the states and territories and more than twice the national average of 38.2 per 100,000 persons.

11.14 ALL DRUG ARRESTS(a) - 2000-01
Drug type	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas.	NT	ACT	Aust.
NUMBER
Cannabis(b)	13,736	6,524	13,178	10,974	7,371	1,050	850	334	54,017
Cocaine	506	63	26	22	30	2	-	3	652
Heroin and other opioids	2,263	4,008	448	233	352	9	24	59	7,396
Amphetamine-type stimulants	2,841	1,263	1,992	711	1,758	70	160	56	8,851
Hallucinogens	55	1	67	25	44	1	5	1	199
Steroids	33	-	28	-	21	-	7	1	90
Other drugs(c)	1,936	2,384	1,343	491	515	93	35	4	6,801
Total	21,370	14,243	17,082	12,456	10,091	1,225	1,081	458	78,006
RATE PER 100,000 ADULT POPULATION
Cannabis(b)	209.1	136.2	365.7	726.2	389.3	222.3	428.2	104.6	279.0
Cocaine	7.7	1.3	0.7	1.5	1.6	0.4	-	0.9	3.4
Heroin and other opioids	34.5	83.7	12.4	15.4	18.6	1.9	12.1	18.5	38.2
Amphetamine-type stimulants	43.2	26.4	55.3	47.0	92.8	14.8	80.6	17.5	45.7
Hallucinogens	0.8	-	1.9	1.7	2.3	0.2	2.5	0.3	1.0
Steroids	0.5	-	0.8	-	1.1	-	3.5	0.3	0.5
Other drugs(c)	29.5	49.8	37.3	32.5	27.2	19.7	17.6	1.3	35.1
Total	325.3	297.3	474.1	824.3	532.9	259.4	544.6	143.4	402.9
(a) The arrest data for each state and territory include AFP data. (b) The SA, NT and ACT figures include infringement notices. (c) 'Other drugs' includes phencyclidine (PCP or 'angel dust'), diazepam, lignocaine, benzocaine, dothiepin, flunitrazepam, other prescription drugs, and any drug not included in the other categories.
Source: Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, 'Australian Illicit Drug Report, 2000-01'.

While the number of cannabis arrests and infringement notices has been declining in the period 1996-97 through to 2000-01, there has been an upward trend in arrests associated with amphetamines. Heroin arrests peaked during 1998-99 (graph 11.15).