At three Australian music festivals in 2022/2023, blood samples from 24 critically ill patrons revealed that unreported illicit drugs or new psychoactive substances were detected in 18 patients. Among these, methylamphetamine was found in 10 patients, cathinones in 7, and benzodiazepine-type new psychoactive substances in 6. The most frequently reported and detected drugs were MDMA, ketamine, and cocaine. The toxicosurveillance network provides additional intelligence for harm reduction, aiming to identify high-risk drug use patterns and inform evidence-based messaging.
From 2010 to 2019 in Victoria, Australia, methylamphetamine (MA) was the most prevalent drug among fatally and injured drivers, detected in 12.3% of fatalities and 9.1% of injured drivers, with an increasing trend. Overall, 16.8% of car drivers and motorcyclists tested positive for one or more drugs, and 14% of crashes involved a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% or higher. Among motorcyclist fatalities between 2015 and 2019, MA was detected in 27.9%, followed by THC (18.3%) and alcohol at 0.05% or higher (14.2%). Alcohol detections in fatalities declined but increased among injured motorcyclists and car drivers until 2017. THC detections rose among injured drivers until 2018. MDMA-positive driving decreased among injured drivers and remained stable at about 1% of fatalities. Drug-driving persists despite enhanced road safety measures.