Regional trends in drug use in Queensland: A pilot study

The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) happens every year, tracking price, purity and availability of a range of substances. The study is normally conducted in urban areas like Brisbane and the Gold Coast. In 2019, for the first time, the IDRS went to Townsville, with the results recently published. The initial pilot study showed that there is a regional variation in the types of substances used, finding that Townsville participants were more likely to use methamphetamine than their urban counterparts. The research also showed that regional participants were less likely to be in treatment for their substance use. 

This is a pilot study with a small sample population, so these findings may not be representative of multiple regions, however the findings are interesting to explore the differences and would be useful to examine further in the future on a larger scale. 

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