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They’re also second in the country for cocaine consumption…

In what’s sure to be welcome news to, well, anyone not in Victoria, the eastern state has been dubbed the meth, heroin and ketamine capital of the nation. The results were announced following the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s (ACIC) wastewater test, which has been deemed to be an “important measure of the demand for a range of illicit drugs and licit drugs with abuse potential” by ACIC chief executive Michael Phelan.

To add insult to injury, regional Victoria has also come in first for ketamine, heroin and oxycodone consumption. It comes as cocaine across the country has more than doubled since 2016-2017, with 5.2% of surveyed participants admitting to taking there drug at least once.

Unsurprisingly, Victoria is just as behind as the rest of the country in the decriminalisation of drugs, with Reason party leader Fiona Pattern stating earlier this year that “Victoria Police supports treatment-based responses, rightly describing drug problems as ‘first and foremost health issues’. But the existing law ties up extensive police resources dealing with something that police acknowledge is a health issue, not a criminal one.”

Ketamine is an illicit drug and pharmaceutical substance of growing concern due to its abuse potential. In April 2022 capital city consumption was higher than the regional average. Learn more here: https://t.co/ZmdJH0X4RQ pic.twitter.com/w0TIlmeTCG

— ACIC (@ACICgovau) November 7, 2022

No doubt it’s not a great title for Victoria. Here’s hoping the war on drugs ends sooner rather than later.