Canberrans are some of highest users of the potentially deadly drug fentanyl in the nation, according to a new report.
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Wastewater testing results released on Tuesday by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission showed the drug was consumed in Canberra at a rate of 1.75 milligrams per 1000 people per day in April 2018, the equal highest of any capital city in Australia at that time.
The use of the drug in the capital is also on the rise, with consumption rates rising from about 0.75 milligrams per thousand people per day in April 2017.
Fentanyl, which is a type of opiod, is prescribed to cancer sufferers in extreme pain, along with people with nerve damage and other severe injuries.
It is also consumed as a recreational drug.
The medication is about 80-100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Australian Drug Foundation.
In Tuesday's report, the commission said the study had revealed a jump in fentanyl consumption across the nation, prompting concern about the potential for an increased number of overdoses.
"Increased consumption is of concern as the high potency of fentanyl greatly increases the risk of overdose," the report said.
The study categorised the ACT and Tasmania as capital cities, while the other states and territories had data collected from metropolitan and regional areas.
Regional NSW reported the highest fentanyl consumption rate in the nation, at more than 3.5 milligrams per 1000 people per day.
The wastewater data was collected from 47 sites across Australia, providing a comprehensive picture of illicit drug consumption in Australia.
It showed territorians took about 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, 67 kilograms of cocaine, 28 kilograms of MDMA and 16 kilograms of heroin between August 2016 and August 2017.
NSW consumed the highest amount in the nation over the 12 month period, with methamphetamine [2,298 kilograms] the most popular drug.
The commission's chief executive officer, Michael Phelan, said the research, the first of its kind in the country, would provide authorities with a detailed insight into drug habits across the nation.
“This creates opportunities to shape the response to both the demand and the supply side of the illicit drug market, particularly in high-use areas," Mr Phelan said.
The release of the wastewater testing results came after the commission last month published figures which showed arrests for possessing and selling methamphetamine had risen sharply in the ACT.
The Illicit Drug Data Report showed 236 arrests were made for the consumption or provision of methamphetanie-type substance in the ACT in 2016/17, up from 148 in 2015/16.
The almost 60 per cent increase is the most significant jump recorded in the ACT in the past decade, during which arrest numbers hovered between 130 and 160.
The spike came amid a decline nationwide in arrests, with numbers dropping from 47,625 to 47,530.
