Study finds three Australian cities recorded very high rates of meth use with one topping the list

Methamphetamine is overall the most harmful illegal drug. Photo / File

A study has identified one Aussie city as the world's methamphetamine hotspot, with the highest level of ice use across 37 countries.

A worldwide study monitoring the use of illicit drugs in more than 30 countries has revealed Adelaide is a meth hotspot with the highest level of ice use of all the countries sampled.

Two other locations in Australia showed the use of methamphetamine jumped 170 per cent in three years.

The report which looked at 120 cities, showed methamphetamine appeared at the highest levels in Australia, while cocaine use in Europe has soared, and ecstasy use was reported at the highest levels in The Netherlands.

Findings were gathered through analysing sewage samples from 60 million people between 2011 and 2017.

Data collected over a one week period in 2017 revealed methamphetamine levels between 507 and 659 milligrams of methamphetamine per 1000 people each day in Adelaide.

The next highest level was recorded in Seattle, which had an average of 418mg per 1000 people each day over a three-year period.

The report also found the use of cocaine in Europe was skyrocketing. Photo / News Corp Australia

Canberra and Toowoomba recorded levels of between 271-331 milligrams of methamphetamine.

Comparatively, the use of methamphetamine in eastern Europe, while still considered high, only sits at an average level of more than 150 mg/1000 people per day.

Over a three-year monitoring period Canberra and Toowoomba both experienced a 170 per cent increase in methamphetamine — this was not analysed for Adelaide.

The paper was published on Wednesday in the journal Addiction and included work from researchers representing 41 international institutions.

Speaking with the ABC, one of the lead authors of the study University of South Australia research associate Richard Bade, said the findings did not necessarily mean Adelaide residents were the world's most prolific meth users, as the study only sampled 37 countries.

Information provided by the University of South Australia said sustained and targeted campaigns had reduced the rates of methamphetamine use in Adelaide by almost half since the study was completed.

Dr Bade said determining the scale of the illicit drug market would help countries work out the "best way" to tackle the $100 billion illicit drug industry.