NCJ Number
236651
Date Published
November 2011
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Urinalysis and self-report data from the Australian Institute of Criminology's Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program are examined to determine trends in methamphetamine use among arrestees.
Abstract
Trend analysis indicates that after declining to a low of 13 percent in 2009, methamphetamine use among police detainees has once again increased; according to data collected so far in 2011, 21 percent of detainees reported methamphetamine use. Self-report data suggest that methamphetamine has become easier to obtain, since more dealers are selling the drug; in addition, quality is reported to have improved. These data are consistent with findings recently released by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (Stafford and Burns, 2011) and the United National Office of Drugs and Crime (2011). Beginning in 1999, the DUMA program is Australia's largest and longest running data-collection system on drugs and offending; it collects information on just over 4,000 arrestees (not yet convicted) each year across nine locations throughout the country. DUMA currently has sites in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and the Northern Territory. DUMA is composed of a two-stage methodology that uses an interviewer-administered self-report survey, followed by voluntary urine testing. 4 figures and 3 references