Qld Drug Trends 2006: Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS)

Demographic characteristics of injecting drug user (IDU) participants In 2006, one hundred and twelve IDU were interviewed in Queensland for the IDRS. Approximately two thirds of the sample were male, about two thirds were unemployed, fewer than one in five had a grade 12 education or higher, 45% had a prison history, and a significant minority (13%) identified as Indigenous. More than a third of the sample were currently in some form of drug treatment, typically methadone or buprenorphine substitution treatment. The average age of the IDU sample interviewed for the IDRS has been increasing in recent years, reflecting an ageing cohort of injecting drug users accessing Needle and Syringe Programs (NSP) in Queensland. Although those nominating heroin as their drug of choice are typically older than those nominating methamphetamine, this was not the case in 2006. Patterns of drug use among the IDU sample On average, IDU in 2006 reported first injecting at about 19 years of age – which is consistent with previous years. Also consistent with previous years, there was a positive correlation between age and age at first injection, indicating that more recent recruits into injecting may be starting to inject at a younger age. Over half of the sample reported first injecting methamphetamine, and these IDU were significantly younger than those reporting heroin as their first injected substance