The Drug Trends program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney has today released findings from its annual surveys with hundreds of people who use drugs, recruited from every capital city in Australia.
The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) and Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) identify emerging trends of local and national interest in key illicit drug markets including use of specific drugs and drug-related harms, risks and other behaviours.
Lead author, Dr Rachel Sutherland said the 2025 national reports show that drug checking remains common among people who use drugs like ecstasy.
"Nearly two fifths (39%) of people who use drugs like ecstasy and 15% of people who inject drugs reported testing their illicit drugs in the last year" Dr Sutherland said.
"Of those who had tested their substances, the majority (71% of people who use drugs like ecstasy and 66% of people who inject drugs) reported using a personal testing kit, which can only provide limited information about the purity and contents of illicit drugs.
"Approximately two in five (43% and 41%, respectively) reported that they had submitted drugs for more comprehensive testing at a drug checking service.
"These findings reinforce that people who use drugs want information about their substances and add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating demand for drug checking services in Australia."
Drug Trends Program Lead and NDARC Deputy Director, Associate Professor Amy Peacock said the 2025 national reports also indicate a significant increase in the awareness, uptake and use of naloxone among both samples.
"Naloxone, also known as Narcan, Prenoxad and Nyxoid, is freely available without a prescription in Australia. It can be used by anyone to quickly and safely reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, including those caused by pharmaceutical opioids such as fentanyl and morphine, and illicit opioids such as heroin," Associate Professor Peacock said.
"This year, 73% of people who used drugs like ecstasy and 86% of people who inject drugs reported that they had heard of naloxone, an increase from 63% and 80% in 2024, respectively."
Approximately one in five (19%) people who use drugs like ecstasy and 55% of people who inject drugs reported obtaining naloxone in the past year, and one third (32%) of those who inject drugs reported that they had resuscitated someone using naloxone at least once in their lifetime, up from 27% in 2024.
"Opioid overdoses can be prevented, and take-home naloxone is a proven way to save lives," Associate Professor Peacock said.
"In Australia, we are seeing more cases where drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine are being mixed with very strong opioids, or where products are made to look like legitimate medicines but unexpectedly contain an opioid.
"This means that people with little or no tolerance to opioids are being unintentionally and unknowingly exposed and are at higher risk of overdose.
"Because of the risk of unintentionally consuming opioids or using stronger-than-expected doses, having naloxone on hand is a practical way to reduce harm."
NDARC Director, Professor Michael Farrell said the Drug Trends program is key to identifying emerging trends in substance use in Australia and risks to public health.
"NDARC has coordinated the Drug Trends program since 1996 and its ongoing monitoring systems provide timely information for policy responses and intervention," Professor Farrell said.
"2025 is an historic year and marks the 40th anniversary of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which was launched in 1985 following the Special Premiers' Conference on Drugs.
"The NCADA evolved into what we now know as the National Drug Strategy, the guiding policy framework for alcohol and other drug responses in Australia, the next iteration of which is currently in development."
Key findings from the 2025 Drug Trends national reports will be presented today at the 2025 NDARC Annual Research Symposium alongside a panel discussion, National Drug Strategy: 40 years of policy and practice moderated by journalist and physician, Dr Norman Swan AM.
You can view and
