"Compared with 2016, more people aged 14 and over reported they had used cocaine in their lifetime, previous 12 months, previous month and previous week (tables 4.15 and 4.16). Lifetime use of cocaine increased for both males and females, following an increasing trend that started in 2004. This was driven mainly by more people in their 20s, 40s and those aged 50 and over reporting in 2019 that they had used cocaine in their lifetime (Figure 4.5).
"Between 2016 and 2019, recent cocaine use increased across all age groups (except 14–19 year olds) and is at the highest proportion seen since 2001. The increase in recent use was driven mainly by the males in these age groups, but use among females in their 20s also increased. The proportion of males in their 20s using cocaine in the 12 months before the survey almost doubled (from 7.3% to 14.4%).
"People are using cocaine more frequently
"Lifetime and recent use of cocaine increased in 2019 and people who used cocaine also used it more often—at least monthly use increased from 10.1% to 16.8% between 2016 and 2019 (Figure 4.5)."
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2020. National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019. Drug Statistics series no. 32. PHE 270. Canberra AIHW.
