☕️ Cocaine use reaches record highs

If you’re in the mood for a podcast this morning, here’s a recap of what we’ve covered on TDA’s podcast this week.

I highly recommend listening on your way to work with a coffee and croissant in hand.

Happy listening and have a good weekend!

“I love Joe Biden… I consider him a friend, and I believe in him… But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can.”
Actor George Clooney in an op-ed for The New York Times calling for U.S. President Joe Biden to step away from the 2024 election race and endorse another Democrat candidate.

5
How many days in a row temperatures have hit 46°C in Las Vegas, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

1804
Alexander Hamilton died a day after he was shot by former colleague and rival Aaron Burr in Weehawken, New Jersey.

CW: Domestic violence

The father of three children killed in a house fire in Western Sydney last week has been charged with their murder.

The children were aged between 10 months and six years old. Their mother and four other young children were also in the home at the time of the incident.

Those children remain in stable conditions, while a 29-year-old woman has been discharged from hospital.

NSW Police confirmed a 28-year-old man has been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. The man is under police guard in a Sydney hospital.

At 1am on Sunday 7 July, NSW Police and emergency services responded to reports of a house fire in Lalor Park, near Blacktown.

Upon arrival, they found two adults and seven children inside the property.

Police allege the 28-year-old male obstructed their attempts to enter the property and reach the victims.

According to Homicide Squad Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, the man allegedly kept “police and other responders and neighbours out of the property while it was on fire, with the intention of keeping the kids inside the premises while the fire was happening”.

NSW Police said the victims have not yet been formally identified, as post-mortem examinations continue. Investigations are continuing.

1800 RESPECT
Call: 1800 737 732
Text: 0458 737 732
Video: 1800RESPECT.org.au

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Australia’s cocaine use has reached record highs, according to new analysis from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

The findings come from city and regional wastewater samples that were collected in December 2023 and February 2024.

ACIC has been studying wastewater samples to report on drug consumption habits since 2016. Its 22nd report was released on Thursday.

Here are the key findings.

National cocaine use in December reached its highest level since ACIC began collecting wastewater samples in 2016.

Cocaine use was generally higher in capital cities than regional areas, and saw a gradual rise from mid-2022 to the end of 2023.

Australia had the second-highest methylamphetamine (ice) consumption per capita compared to 29 other countries across the world.

MDMA was more popular in capital cities than regional Australia. The highest average MDMA use was found at sites in Sydney and Hobart.

Australia had the fourth-highest illicit stimulant use among 34 countries, according to wastewater samples taken in the second half of 2023.

For the first time since 2018, alcohol was used more often in capital cities than the regions. Total use has been falling over the last two years.

Regional nicotine use is on the rise, and was at record highs in the latest data collection.

The most used illicit drug in Australia, cannabis is 3.6 times more popular than meth (which ranked second).

Cannabis was most used in regional SA and NT, and least in Sydney and Melbourne.

Australia’s cannabis use ranked third-highest out of 20 total countries.

Heroin use was highest in capital cities, led by Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne. However, the highest average heroin detection was at a site in regional Victoria.

Fentanyl and oxycodone use was higher in regional areas than in capital cities. Use was highest in regional Victoria and SA, and in Hobart.

Ketamine use was higher in capital cities than in the regions.

Hobart’s samples showed the highest ketamine levels.

Ketamine can be used as a painkiller for legitimate purposes, though is also used recreationally.

ACIC CEO Heather Cook said the findings in the wastewater report showed “resilience” in the drug market and trade, but also noted “points of vulnerability” for illicit drug suppliers that could strengthen law enforcement efforts.

The findings are used by domestic and global law enforcement bodies to understand the effectiveness of pre-existing drug policies, and to consider emerging threats.

The next wastewater report will be released in October.

Reporting by Daniel Lo Surdo.

Do you ever wish you didn’t have to wait until the next election to be able to vote for change? 

Every day, your super is invested in different industries – and while most super funds invest in areas like fossil fuels and gambling, Future Super invests your money in climate solutions. 

 By joining Future Super, you’re voting every day for the type of world you want to live in. 

Click here for information on how we invest Any advice by Future Super Investment Services Pty Ltd is general advice under AFSL 482684 without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before investing, you should read the relevant PDS and TMD issued by Equity Trustees Superannuation Limited, and the FSG and consider if this product is right for you. 

Antetokounmpo, whose parents emigrated from Nigeria to Greece before he was born, booked Greece’s place in the Paris Games after a victory against Croatia in this month’s qualifiers.

He became a Greek citizen in 2013, before he was drafted to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks – the team he led to a championship in 2021.

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Reporting by Daniel Lo Surdo.

Scientists have found a really stinky planet.

Using the James Webb telescope, an international group of scientists studying the far-off planet HD 189733b spotted hydrogen sulphide in its atmosphere.

Hydrogen sulphide is a colourless gas known to smell a lot like rotten eggs.

As if smelling like a dirty schoolbag at the end of the summer holidays wasn’t enough, HD 189733b also has wind so strong that it rains sideways.

The rain’s made of glass, by the way. Keep that in mind next time you complain about the weather!

Reporting by Lucy Tassell. Illustration by NASA and Lucy Tassell.

The NSW greyhound racing industry is being investigated after a former employee of the racing body detailed allegations of cover-ups and abuse.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll look at what the report says about the way greyhounds are treated in the sport, and what the NSW Government plans to do next.