Illicit drugs in Australia

Illicit drugs in Australia

Transnational, serious and organised crime (TSOC) groups are trafficking illicit drugs into Australia on an industrial scale. 

A report by the Australian Institute of Criminology, Estimating the costs of serious and organised crime in Australia, 2020-21, revealed that because Australian consumers are willing to pay high street prices for illicit drugs, traffickers are able to make a profit from the smallest of shipments. This encourages criminal groups to continue importing illicit drugs.

Methylamphetamine is the illicit drug posing the greatest harm to the Australian community. Demand is growing for a range of other substances.

Significant consumption of illicit drugs in Australia harms our society in multiple ways. These include:

• harm to people who use drugs and their families
• associated criminal activity
• a significant burden on Australia’s health system. 

Learn more about the impact on our health system in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s report on Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Australia

Disrupting illicit drug activity

At the Attorney-General’s Department, we recognise the impact of illicit drugs. We are working to disrupt illicit drug activity and reduce the harm it causes to individuals, families and communities across Australia.

We have policy responsibility for Commonwealth illicit drug offences in Parts 9.1 and 9.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 and the Criminal Code Regulations 2019.

Our responsibilities form part of the comprehensive legal and policy framework that supports our law enforcement agencies to:

• disrupt illicit drug activity
• investigate and prosecute serious drug offences.

Our law enforcement agencies include the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

We work with government agencies to develop legislative and policy reform in line with the National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 to:

• disrupt the supply of illicit drugs
• prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals to the manufacture of illicit drugs.

We also work with government agencies to improve controls on:

• illicit drugs
• precursor chemicals
• equipment used to manufacture illicit drugs.

In addition, we work with government agencies to coordinate responses on current and emerging drug issues from Australian Government law enforcement.

The National Drug Strategy

The National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 outlines the Australian Government’s approach to illicit drugs policy. The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care administers this strategy.

The National Drug Strategy provides a framework for a national commitment to reduce and prevent drug-related harms impacting individuals, families and communities. It guides government action in partnership with service providers and the community to reduce harm, demand and supply.

Australian Government health and law enforcement agencies share responsibility with state and territory governments for implementing the National Drug Strategy.

We are committed to tackling illicit drug trafficking in line with Australia’s National Drug Strategy.