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Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice

No. 276: Cocaine use among a sample of police detainees

Lee Milner and Kiah McGregor
ISBN 0 642 53840 9 ; ISSN 0817-8542
May 2004

Abstract

The use of cocaine in Australia, among both the general population and 'high-risk' groups, has traditionally been low. However, several indicators suggest that use of this drug has increased, especially among 'high-risk' groups during the recent heroin shortage. There have also been increases in the number of arrests related to cocaine over the past few years, which is a cause for concern. This paper examines the use of cocaine among a group of individuals detained by police and interviewed for the AIC's Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. The analysis shows that while most cocaine use occurs in DUMA's Sydney sites, use also occurs in other areas. Furthermore, cocaine users among this cohort are predominately multiple-drug users. In addition to cocaine, they are also likely to test positive to other drugs, especially heroin. Cocaine users are more likely to have had prior contact with the criminal justice system than non-cocaine users, and to report deriving an income from crime.

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