In Australia, past-year methamphetamine use has declined since 2004, but among people who still used the drug, there are signs of increases in intensive use patterns.
A similar trend is observed in New Zealand, where the police characterize the methamphetamine market as saturated. Intensive use of the drug has increased, while occasional use has remained stable.
The shift towards more intensive patterns of use may explain the recent increase in methamphetamine detected in wastewater in both Australia and New Zealand.
