he addiction rate for methamphetamines in Australia are amongst the world’s highest and by a substantial margin. Recent studies have suggested that the prevalence of those affected by methamphetamine use disorders in Australia sits at around 1% of citizens between 15 to 49 years old. The next closest country in this study put on by the Institute for health metrics and evaluation is New Zealand at .6% of the population in this age bracket.
It’s thought that over a quarter of 1 million Australians are currently using methamphetamines and this has been a drastic increase even just over the past few years. Evidence from a sewage study in a state of Queensland showcased a 3 to 5% increase in meth residue between the year 2009 and 2015.
Part of the problem with these addiction rates in Australia especially is that meth is quite reasonable the purchase. It’s also reported to be a much better purity on the street today than even a few years ago. As far as narcotics and other types of drugs go, meth really is one of the cheapest options. For $30-$40 a person can easily pick up enough of the drug to last them for half a day or more. Other products can be extensively more expensive and much harder to source.
With this accessibility and with the low cost of entry the number of hospital admissions related to meth are also on the rise. Hospital admission since 2010 have quadrupled in Australia. Politicians throughout Australia are starting to see a pattern and are taking steps to remedy these addiction rates. Under the national ice task force, a $300 million investment was given to help bolster the efforts of local medical practices and to provide assistance to local medical facilities helping addicts across Australia.