The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) is a national illicit drug monitoring system that has been conducted annually since 2000, and is part of Drug Trends.

The IDRS interviews people who inject drugs (PWID) from every capital city of Australia and provides an analysis and examination of indicator data sources related to illicit drugs. It is designed to be sensitive to trends, providing data in a timely manner, rather than describing issues in detail.

The 2023 IDRS report provides the most up-to-date findings of the IDRS interviews from 2000 to 2023 with people who regularly inject illicit drugs.

This includes:

1. A report overviewing the key findings in 2023;
2. An infographic summarising key findings in 2023;
3. The executive summary, summarising key findings in 2023 and
4. Supplementary data tables, providing detailed findings underlying the tables and figures within the report

Results are not representative of all consumers or drug use in the general population and should be interpreted alongside findings from other data sources for a more complete profile of emerging trends in illicit drug use in Australia.

Recommended citation

Chandrasena U, Peacock A, & Sutherland R. New South Wales Drug Trends 2023: Key Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) Interviews. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney; 2023.

Participants

We would like to thank all the participants who shared their knowledge and experience with us in the present and in previous years.

Funding

Drug Trends is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Drug and Alcohol Program.  

Copyright

Please note that any presentation of these data should include an acknowledgement of Drug Trends at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales. 

©NDARC, UNSW SYDNEY 2023 

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. All other rights are reserved. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the information manager, NDARC, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia via drugtrends@unsw.edu.au.

ISSN: 2981-9695

• NSW IDRS 2023 - Report, opens in a new window
• NSW IDRS 2023 - Infographics, opens in a new window
• NSW IDRS 2023 - Executive Summary, opens in a new window
• NSW IDRS 2023 - Figure Data, opens in a new window