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Heroin used more often, cocaine use up. What new data says about drug use today

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · · 1035 words · By Amy Peacock; Jodie Grigg; Rachel Sutherland
Drug Market Trends Public Health Monitoring
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The article presents data from national drug monitoring systems regarding trends in heroin, stimulant, illicit tobacco, and nitrous oxide use in Australia. It highlights an increase in the frequency of heroin use and the emergence of larger nitrous oxide canisters, while noting stable overall tobacco use.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 14
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

When many Australians think of heroin, they picture the steep increases in use and harms of the 1990s.

Why it matters

But new annual data, released today, shows samples of people who use heroin are doing so more often, at a frequency not seen for decades.

Common ground

Other drug trends revealed include expanding stimulant markets, rising use of illicit tobacco, and shifts in the way nitrous oxide is used.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article presents data from national drug monitoring systems regarding trends in heroin, stimulant, illicit tobacco, and nitrous oxide use in Australia. It highlights an increase in the frequency of heroin use and the emergence of larger nitrous oxide canisters, while noting stable overall tobacco use.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/heroin-used-more-often-cocaine-use-up-what-new-data-…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 4
verified Verified By Reference 4
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Daily smoking rates have also continued to decline in the general population”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 2: “the proportion of people in our sample who reported using heroin in the previous six months has fallen, from 79% in 2000 to 51% in 2026”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about the year 2000 and 2026, but no data regarding heroin use proportions for those specific years. The search results are irrelevant to the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Panzerhaubitze 2000 (German pronunciation: [ˈpant͡sɐhaʊ̯ˌbɪt͡sə t͡svaɪ̯ˈtaʊ̯zn̩t]), meaning "armoured howitzer 2000" and abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerhaubitze_2000
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The year 2000 in film involved some significant events. The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible 2. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_in_film
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2000 (MM) was a century leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2000th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 1000th and last year of the 2nd millenni…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 3: “participants were more likely to report using large canisters (some containing up to 2 kilograms of nitrous oxide) than traditional smaller 8-gram bulbs”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 4: “recent cocaine use increased three-fold between 2007 and 2021, before stabilising”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
schedule
Claim 5: “Eight in ten reported using [methamphetamine] in 2026 and did so roughly every second day”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 6: “Opioids – heroin being one example – are still the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in Australia.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that opioids are a leading cause of overdose deaths in Australia. One source explicitly states 'Opioids continue to be the leading cause of overdose deaths in...', and another discusses the soaring nature of opioid-related deaths in Australia.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Intel® product specifications, features and compatibility quick reference guide and code name decoder. Compare products including processors, desktop boards, server products and networking products.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Since the 12th generation, the desktop models support both DDR4 and DDR5 as well as PCIe 5.0 on socket LGA 1700. With the introduction of the Core Ultra processors, Intel is phasing out the Core i5 br…
https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/cpu_family-intel_core_i5
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Based on the performance (as of October 2023) and other attributes of Intel® CoreTM processors (14th gen) that combine to form the best overall desktop experience.
https://cdrdv2-public.intel.com/787258/Intel+Core+Desktop+Pr…
info
Claim 7: “Heroin-related ambulance attendances increased across most jurisdictions with available data in 2024”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries for the year 2024 and the US election, with no mention of ambulance attendances in Australia.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2024 (MMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2024th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 24th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2024 United States presidential election - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Over 80 countries held national elections in 2024, and all developed democracies ' ruling parties lost vote share. [1] The year saw the continuation of major wars, including the Russian invasion of Uk…
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024
schedule
Claim 8: “Since we first began asking about illicitly traded tobacco in 2024, reported use has increased year-on-year”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 9: “wastewater monitoring data, which found record-high estimated levels of heroin consumption in 2024–25”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result ('Heroin used more often, cocaine use up...') explicitly mentions that findings are consistent with wastewater monitoring data which found record-high estimated levels of heroin consumption. However, no second independent source confirms this specific 'record-high' finding for 2024-25.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australian Water Association (AWA) is a non-profit organisation that serves as the peak body for the Australian water industry. It is a member of the International Water Association.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Water_Association
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Water supply and sanitation in Australia is a topic concerning the consumption and obtainment of water for the Australian population. Being the driest inhabited continent in the world, and also one of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 10: “preliminary 2024 figures suggest overdose deaths involving heroin are approaching levels seen during previous peaks in 2018 and 2019”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided discusses US drug deaths or Victorian methamphetamine deaths, but does not provide preliminary 2024 figures for heroin deaths in Australia relative to 2018-2019 peaks.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kassanda District is an administrative district in Central Region, Uganda. It was on July 1, 2018, after splitting from Mubende District.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassanda_District
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — These are lists of the busiest airports in the United States, based on various ranking criteria.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_i…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Simone Arianne Biles Owens (née Biles; born March 14, 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Biles
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 11: “in 2026, we saw yet another increase with 84% of our national sample reporting recent use [of cocaine], the highest percentage observed in the past 20 years”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
info
Claim 12: “Heroin-related hospitalisations increased by 26% between 2022–23 and 2023–24”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source mentions that drug-induced hospitalizations in Australia have risen, but it does not provide the specific figure of a 26% increase for heroin-related hospitalizations between 2022-23 and 2023-24.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Drug-induced deaths and hospitalizations in Australia have risen, with the trend driven by increased harms from amphetamine-type stimulants and cocaine, new data show.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-drug-deaths-hospitali…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Of the injuries that required hospitalization for treatment in 2022-23, 238,055, or 43.3 percent, were caused by falls. Contact with objects and transport were the next-most common cause of injury hos…
https://english.news.cn/20241115/d6ceca07c3a147d9abba1a8775c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This study highlighted that hospitalization rate for pneumonia increased during the past decade in Australia, England, and Wales. The age and male gender were clearly contributing factors that affecte…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11999438/
verified
Claim 13: “Historically, people in our survey who used heroin reported doing so around an average three days a week. In 2026, this increased to daily use, on average.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided consists of irrelevant search results about the World Nomad Games 2026 and general drug addiction in the US, but nothing regarding the frequency of heroin use in the specific survey mentioned.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The is the definite article in English. The, or THE, may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_(disambiguation)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bronx ( BRONKS) is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The Bronx has a land area of 42 square miles (109 km2) and a population of 1,472,654 at the 2020 census. It has the fourt…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 14: “overall decline in overdose deaths involving opioids since 2017, largely driven by reductions in deaths involving pharmaceutical opioids such as oxycodone and morphine”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While sources discuss opioid deaths in Australia, none of the provided evidence mentions a decline since 2017 specifically driven by reductions in pharmaceutical opioids like oxycodone and morphine. In fact, one source suggests deaths have been on an upward trend.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australians
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Australia
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.