Cocaine use in Australia is rising at a rate that demands serious attention. A new national report from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) confirms it. Use is up. The drug is easier to obtain than ever. Furthermore, the health consequences are no longer quietly building in the background. They are here, and they are growing.

A Record Global Supply Is Driving Cocaine Trends in Australia

First, consider the global picture. In 2023, worldwide cocaine production reached 3,708 tonnes. That makes it the fastest-growing illicit drug market on the planet. Crucially, that supply does not stay offshore.

Australian law enforcement is intercepting increasingly large shipments. In 2023-24, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) seized 5.6 tonnes of cocaine. Moreover, in November 2024, the AFP pulled 2 tonnes off the market in a single operation called Operation Tyrrendor. It remains the largest cocaine seizure in Australian history.

Even so, the market is not shrinking. The scale of what authorities catch only hints at how much gets through.

More Australians Are Using Cocaine Than at Any Point in 20 Years

The numbers from the NDARC report are stark. In 2022-23, 4.5 per cent of Australians aged 14 and over reported cocaine use in the past 12 months. Back in 2004, that figure sat at just 1 per cent. As a result, cocaine has become the second most used illicit drug in Australia, behind only cannabis.

Additionally, Oceania now ranks above the Americas and Western and Central Europe for past-year cocaine prevalence. That is not a record worth holding.

Wastewater monitoring confirms the trend. In 2024-25, it recorded the highest estimated cocaine consumption since tracking began, at approximately 7,985 kilograms for the year. Self-reported surveys and real-world consumption data are pointing in the same direction.

Cocaine Use in Australia: Who Is Most at Risk

Cocaine use in Australia falls most heavily on specific groups. According to NDARC data, use is most common among people aged 20 to 39, those with a university degree, major city residents, and people in higher socio-economic areas. People identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual also report higher rates of use. Men are more likely to report use than women.

However, its presence in professional and social circles does not make it safer. A drug does not need daily use to cause serious damage to health, relationships, and long-term wellbeing. Consequently, no demographic that appears in these statistics is immune from harm.

You Cannot Know What You Are Taking

Beyond the drug itself, what cocaine in Australia actually contains is alarming. Testing services in the ACT and Victoria found that up to 30 per cent of samples sold as cocaine contained additional unknown substances. These included fillers, binders, and psychoactive compounds.

Recent public alerts flagged opioids detected in cocaine samples across New South Wales, the ACT, and Victoria between 2024 and 2026. Other substances found include N-ethylhexedrone, bromazolam, and 2C-B. These are not harmless trace elements. They are dangerous compounds that have no place in any drug sold on the street.

There is no reliable way to identify what an illicit substance contains before someone takes it. Therefore, the only genuine protection is not to take it at all.

The Health Toll Is Severe and Still Climbing

The human cost of cocaine trends in Australia is significant. Since 2011, cocaine-related hospitalisations have tripled, reaching 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2023-24. Deaths involving cocaine have increased fivefold since the early 2000s, reaching 0.38 per 100,000 people in 2023. Most were unintentional. Most involved multiple substances. Most occurred in men aged 25 to 44.

Importantly, many of these people were occasional users. They did not consider themselves at serious risk.

Ambulance call-outs tell the same story. Between 2021 and 2024, cocaine-related ambulance attendances rose across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory. About 74 per cent of those cases involved people aged 15 to 34. Nearly 70 per cent were male. The majority also involved other drugs.

Treatment numbers are also climbing fast. In 2013-14, treatment episodes for cocaine stood at 2.8 per 100,000 people. By 2023-24, that figure reached 11.6. Furthermore, in 2024, cocaine accounted for 11 per cent of Australia’s entire illicit drug disease burden. These numbers represent real families facing real consequences.

A High Price Has Not Slowed Demand

At $300 to $350 per gram in 2025, cocaine in Australia costs far more than in comparable markets. In North America and Europe, prices typically sit between $50 and $150 per gram. In some South American source countries, prices fall as low as $4 to $5 per gram.

Nevertheless, that premium has not deterred buyers. In 2025, more than 40 per cent of people who regularly used ecstasy and other stimulants described cocaine as very easy to obtain. That is the highest figure on record. In addition, between 46 and 63 per cent of online cryptomarket drug listings available to Australian buyers advertised cocaine between 2024 and 2025. Supply and demand are both moving upward.

The Only Real Answer Is Prevention

Cocaine use in Australia will not reverse itself. Record global production, a highly profitable local market, and rising demand are not conditions that ease without deliberate action.

Therefore, the most urgent priority is prevention. That means reaching young people before cocaine becomes normal in their social world. It means giving families clear, honest information about the risks. It means ensuring that people who need help accessing recovery-focused care can get it quickly.

Cocaine causes cardiovascular damage. It triggers serious mental health consequences. It carries a growing risk of fatal toxicity from unknown adulterants. Furthermore, it creates patterns of dependence that are genuinely difficult to break. Every conversation that treats it as a harmless social habit puts someone at greater risk.

Ultimately, cocaine use in Australia has changed dramatically over one generation. Prevention is where the response must begin.

Source: dbrecoveryresources