CANBERRA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Australians spend more than 7 billion U.S. dollars on illicit drugs every year, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The ninth report from Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission's (ACIC) National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program (NWDMP) said Australians spent 11.3 billion Australian dollars (7.4 billion U.S. dollars) on heroin, cocaine, MDMA and methylamphetamine in the 12 months to August 2019.

Of that figure, 8.63 billion AUD (5.6 billion USD), or 76 percent, was spent on 11.5 tonnes of methylamphetamine, which is commonly known as ice.

In Tasmania, consumption of ice has increased 92.5 percent in the three years while in Queensland it has risen 75.9 percent and by 53.2 percent in Victoria.

"Australians are spending a significant amount of money on illicit substances each year, generating profits for the sole benefit of organized crime groups. This is money that might otherwise have been spent on legitimate goods for themselves and their families," Mike Phelan, ACIC chief executive said in a media release.

"Illicit drugs have a devastating impact on everyday Australians. Organized criminals involved in the illicit drug trade prey on our communities to make a profit. They don't care about the devastation caused through health and social costs, or the drug-related crime."

An estimated 4.6 tonnes of cocaine was consumed in the 12 months covered by the report, an increase of 51.7 percent from the previous year, with New South Wales (NSW) using more than any other state.

In Western Australia (WA), cocaine consumption has increased by 150.6 percent in three years.

"The data demonstrates that domestic drug markets are complex and vary both between and within jurisdictions," the report said, adding that a multi-dimensional approach that targets supply, demand and harm reduction is critical to addressing drug use in Australia. Enditem

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