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01 Topic Focus · Illicit Drugs
Illicit Drugs · Facts, risks and help in Australia

Illicit drugs, the facts without judgement.

Drugs are a difficult subject, which is exactly why they need plain-language education. This guide explains what the main illicit drugs are, what they do, what the law says in Australia, and where to get help for yourself or someone you care about. It is not here to judge. It is here so that when a conversation matters, you have the facts.

Plain-language guide Australian law, explained Harm reduction focus Help services listed
The drugs, explained In an emergency
Suspected overdose? Triple zero (000), or the Poisons line 13 11 26
Standard Aligned with national drug services
Access Free 24/7 hotline 1800 250 015
Support Family Drug Support 1300 368 186

3people

die every day in Australia from opioid-related use

64%

of drug-induced deaths in 2018 involved opioids

24/7

free national drug hotline on 1800 250 015

13 11 26

the Poisons Information Centre, day and night
Why this guide exists

A drug problem is not a character flaw. It is a health condition with a way through.

Tricorian Life
02 The Basics
What drugs do

The main drugs, and what they actually do.

Illicit drugs fall into a small number of families, and each family carries its own pattern of risk. Knowing the family tells you what to watch for, which is most of what drug education is for.

What makes a drug illicit

A drug is illicit when the law prohibits making, selling, possessing or using it. In Australia that includes ice, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, GHB, ketamine, LSD and, in most of the country, cannabis. Alcohol and tobacco are legal but heavily regulated, and medicines are legal only when used as prescribed.

Three classes, three risk patterns

StimulantsStimulantA drug that speeds up messages between the brain and body, raising alertness, heart rate and blood pressure. Ice, cocaine and MDMA are stimulants. speed the body up and strain the heart. DepressantsDepressantA drug that slows the central nervous system. Alcohol, heroin and benzodiazepines are depressants, and too much slows breathing dangerously. slow it down and can stop breathing. HallucinogensHallucinogenA drug that changes perception, so sights, sounds and time feel different. LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) are hallucinogens. change perception and can cause panic. The class tells you the main danger to watch for.

Opioids deserve the most respect

OpioidsOpioidA class of drugs that relieve pain and slow the nervous system. They include prescription medicines like morphine and oxycodone, and the illicit drug heroin. Overdose stops breathing and is a medical emergency. sit behind most drug deaths: 3 Australians die every day from opioid-related use, and 64 percent of drug-induced deaths in 2018 involved opioids. Overdose slows breathing until it stops, which is why naloxone matters.

Legal does not mean safe

Alcohol causes more deaths and hospital admissions than any other drug in Australia, and prescription medicines used the wrong way are part of the overdose picture. The law is not a measure of danger.

People use drugs for human reasons

Pain, trauma, mental illness, pressure, curiosity and dependence. Causes are where help starts, and judgement is where it ends.

Help works

Treatment for drug problems is effective. Most people who reach a drug and alcohol service reduce their use, and families have their own support services. Reaching out is a strength, not a failure.

03 The Drug Reference
Nine drugs, fact by fact

The reference cards, drug by drug.

Every drug below is described as it is actually met on the street: bought from dealers with no quality control, made in unclean conditions, and often injected with shared or dirty needles. Each card gives the scientific name, the street names patients and families hear, what the drug does, how it is used, and the dangers that belong to the street supply specifically.

Stimulants

Methamphetamine (Ice)

Scientific name
Methamphetamine hydrochloride
Street names
Ice, crystal meth, meth, shabu, crystal, glass, rock, tina, T, frosty, shard, P
What it does
A powerful stimulant that floods the brain with dopamine. Effects hit within seconds when smoked or injected and can last for hours, with a hard crash afterwards.
How it is used
Smoked, injected, swallowed or snorted
Street supply dangers
Purity is never known, and street ice is commonly cut with other chemicals. Injecting with dirty or shared equipment spreads hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, and causes tetanus, abscesses and vein damage. Snorting damages the sinuses and causes nose bleeds.

Cocaine

Scientific name
Cocaine hydrochloride (crack is the freebase form)
Street names
C, coke, crack, nose candy, snow, white lady, toot, Charlie, blow, white dust, stardust
What it does
A short-acting stimulant powder, usually snorted. Effects peak fast and fade within about an hour, which drives repeated dosing.
How it is used
Snorted most often, also rubbed on the gums or injected
Street supply dangers
Cut with unknown powders, from sugars and local anaesthetics to other stimulants, so the dose is a guess. Repeated high doses strain the heart and blood vessels, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. Injected cocaine carries the same dirty-needle infections as ice.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Scientific name
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Street names
Caps, MD, pills, pingers, bikkies, googs, flippers, molly, M&M, ecstasy, eckies/eccies, E, XTC
What it does
A stimulant with psychedelic effects, known for feelings of warmth and connection. It also raises body temperature and heart rate sharply.
How it is used
Usually swallowed as a pill or crystal, sometimes snorted or injected
Street supply dangers
Pills are pressed anywhere with no quality control. Many contain little or no MDMA, cut with meth, or pressed with PMA or PMMA, which are more toxic at lower doses. The main dangers are overheating, dehydration and drinking too much water.

Opioids & depressants

Heroin

Scientific name
Diacetylmorphine (diamorphine)
Street names
Smack, gear, hammer, the dragon, H, dope, junk, harry, horse, black tar, white dynamite, homebake, china white, Chinese H, poison, Dr Harry
What it does
An opioid that relieves pain and strongly suppresses breathing. Overdose is the main danger, and naloxone reverses it.
How it is used
Usually injected into a vein, also smoked (chasing the dragon) or added to cigarettes
Street supply dangers
The dose is a lottery because purity swings from batch to batch, and supplies can be cut with stronger opioids. Shared or dirty needles spread hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, and cause abscesses, tetanus and vein damage.

GHB

Scientific name
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (4-hydroxybutanoic acid)
Street names
G, fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), juice, liquid ecstasy, liquid E, liquid X, soap, scoop, cherry meth, fishies
What it does
A strong depressant that causes relaxation then heavy sleepiness. The gap between a wanted dose and an overdose is narrow.
How it is used
Usually swallowed as a liquid
Street supply dangers
Sold as a home-made liquid of unknown strength, so measuring a dose is guesswork. It is colourless and has been used to spike drinks. Overdose causes deep unconsciousness and slowed breathing, a medical emergency.

Psychedelics & dissociatives

LSD

Scientific name
Lysergic acid diethylamide
Street names
Acid, trips, tabs, microdots, dots, Lucy
What it does
A hallucinogen that changes perception for many hours. It is not physically addictive, but the experience can include panic.
How it is used
Absorbed from small paper squares (tabs) held on the tongue
Street supply dangers
Tabs sold as LSD may actually carry NBOMes, stronger chemicals with serious risk at tiny doses. Effects last up to 12 hours, and the main dangers are panic and accidents while perception is altered.

Ketamine

Scientific name
Ketamine hydrochloride
Street names
Special K, K, ket, kitkat, ketters, super k, horse trank
What it does
A dissociative anaesthetic medicine misused for its dreamlike, detached effects. High doses cause a K-hole where movement is nearly impossible.
How it is used
Swallowed, snorted or injected
Street supply dangers
Powders may be diverted medicine or made illicitly and cut with other dissociatives. Injected ketamine carries the same needle infection risks, and heavy use damages the bladder.

Psilocybin (Magic mushrooms)

Scientific name
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine)
Street names
Shrooms, mushies, blue meanies, golden tops, liberty caps
What it does
A hallucinogen from certain mushrooms. Effects resemble LSD but shorter, and are strongly shaped by mood and setting.
How it is used
Eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a tea
Street supply dangers
The biggest danger is misidentification: poisonous lookalike mushrooms can be fatal. Strength also varies between species and batches, so the same amount can feel very different.

Cannabis

Cannabis

Scientific name
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main active component
Street names
Yarndi, gunja/ganja, marijuana, pot, weed, Mary Jane, buds, herb, hash, dope, stick, chronic, cone, chuff/choof, mull, 420, 710, dabs, dabbing, butane hash oil, BHO (more than 200 slang terms exist)
What it does
A plant drug that relaxes some people and makes others anxious. It affects memory and coordination, and stays in the system for weeks.
How it is used
Smoked, vaporised or eaten
Street supply dangers
Street cannabis can be laced or sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids, which are far stronger and less predictable. Concentrates like dabs and butane hash oil (BHO) pack many times the strength of flower, and solvent traces from home-made BHO are a real hazard.

One pattern sits behind every card: street drugs have no quality control, no known dose and no clean equipment. That is the difference between a street supply and a medicine. If you or someone you know injects, clean needles are free at needle and syringe programs, never share equipment, and carrying naloxone can save a life. Everything you need is in Help Now below.

04 Your Journey
From concern to support

When you are worried, here is the route.

Whether it is your own use or someone else's, the path from concern to support runs through the same five steps. None of them requires certainty, and none of them is a trap.

01

Notice

Changes in behaviour, sleep, money, mood or friendships can be early signs of a drug problem. You do not need proof to start a conversation.

02

Talk

Choose a calm, private moment. Say what you have noticed and that you care. Listen more than you speak, and leave blame outside the room.

03

Get advice

Call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015, free and confidential around the clock, for advice for yourself or someone else.

04

See your GP

A GP can assess physical health, refer to a local drug and alcohol service, and manage related conditions. You can also self-refer to state alcohol and drug services.

05

Treatment and support

Treatment includes counselling, medically supervised withdrawal (detox), rehabilitation and long-term support. Families get their own support through Family Drug Support on 1300 368 186.

05 Who You Will Meet
The support team

Different professionals, one shared goal.

Drug support in Australia is delivered by a team, not a single person. Knowing who does what helps you knock on the right door first.

Your GP

The confidential first door. GPs assess your health, refer to local drug and alcohol services, and manage related conditions. You decide how much to share.

Drug and alcohol clinicians

Counsellors, nurses and doctors in specialist services who assess, counsel and treat substance use. Most public services are free, and many accept self-referral.

Psychologists

Mental health support for the anxiety, depression and trauma that often travel with drug problems. Medicare rebates apply through a GP plan, as our psychology guide explains.

Pharmacists

Supply naloxone without a prescription, dispense opioid treatment medicines such as methadone and buprenorphine, and answer medicine questions without judgement.

Peer workers and family support

People with lived experience who walk alongside you, plus dedicated family services like Family Drug Support. You are not doing this alone, and neither is your family.

06 Beyond the Basics
The Australian picture

The law, the health system, and your safety tools.

Australia treats drugs through three overlapping layers: the law, the health system, and a set of practical safety tools. Understanding all three is what turns fear into a plan.

The law

What is legal, and what is not

In every state and territory it is against the law to make, sell, possess or use drugs such as ice, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, GHB, ketamine and LSD. Cannabis is illegal in most of Australia. Penalties vary by state and can include fines or criminal charges. The ACT has decriminalisedDecriminalisationWhen a law remains but the penalty for small, personal amounts becomes a fine or health referral instead of a criminal charge. The ACT introduced this for some drugs in 2023. personal possession of small amounts of some drugs, moving to fines instead of charges. Using a prescription medicine without a prescription is also illegal, so is driving with any illicit drug in your system, and nicotine vapes can only be legally sold by pharmacies.

The health system

Drug use is treated as a health issue

Australia's National Drug Strategy treats drug use as a health issue, not only a legal one. That means free naloxone, needle and syringe programs, confidential counselling, and publicly funded treatment such as medically supervised withdrawal and rehabilitation. Your GP is the confidential first door: GPs can assess, refer to local drug and alcohol services, and prescribe medicines that reduce cravings for opioids and alcohol.

The safety tools

What to keep in your back pocket

NaloxoneNaloxoneA medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and restores breathing. It is available at pharmacies without a prescription and free through the national Take Home Naloxone program. reverses an opioid overdose in minutes. The Poisons Information Centre answers any poisoning question on 13 11 26, and the drug hotline on 1800 250 015 gives free, confidential support around the clock. If someone is unconscious or breathing oddly after taking anything, call triple zero (000). You do not need certainty, and emergency help is not withheld because drugs are involved.

Continue your journey

Psychology Hospitals General Practice Pharmaceuticals Glossary
07 Help Now
In an emergency

Overdose and crisis, act fast.

A suspected overdose is a medical emergency, not a legal problem. Emergency services treat the person first, and help is never withheld because drugs are involved. If anyone is unconscious, struggling to breathe or having a seizure, call triple zero (000) first.

Emergency

Triple zero (000)

If someone is unconscious, barely breathing or having a seizure after taking anything, call triple zero now. Follow the operator's instructions, and start CPR if the person is not breathing. Stay with them until help arrives.

Call 000

Poisons Information Centre

24/7 advice from poison specialists on any suspected poisoning or overdose, for you or for a professional.

13 11 26

National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline

Free, confidential information and support around the clock for your own or someone else's drug or alcohol use.

1800 250 015

Family Drug Support

24/7 phone support for families and friends affected by someone's drug or alcohol use, run by people who have lived it.

1300 368 186

Counselling Online

Free, confidential drug and alcohol counselling by live chat, 24 hours a day.

counsellingonline.org.au

Lifeline

24/7 crisis support for anyone in distress, including the mental health side of drug problems.

13 11 14

Alcohol and Drug Foundation

Plain-language drug facts, safer-use information and a directory of Australian help services.

adf.org.au

Worried about someone else? Say what you have noticed without blame, listen more than you talk, and offer to go with them to a GP or call the hotline together. You can also call 1800 250 015 yourself for advice on how to help. Starting the conversation is often the most valuable step you can take.

If you are an employee

Ask about your EAP

Many employers provide an Employee Assistance Program: free, confidential counselling with no referral needed, usually for you and often your immediate family. Drug and alcohol concerns are exactly what EAP counsellors handle. Ask your HR or People team, your manager, or check your intranet.

How EAP works
08 Sources

Where this guide draws from.

  • 1Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Drug help. health.gov.au
  • 2Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Take Home Naloxone program. health.gov.au
  • 3Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Drug facts and support services. adf.org.au
  • 4NSW Poisons Information Centre. National poisons advice on 13 11 26. poisonsinfo.nsw.gov.au
  • 5Family Drug Support. 24/7 support line for families and friends. fds.org.au
  • 6Counselling Online. Free drug and alcohol counselling. counsellingonline.org.au
  • 7Positive Choices. Drug and alcohol information for Australians. positivechoices.org.au
09 Common Questions
Frequently asked

What patients ask about drugs.

Are all drugs illegal in Australia?

Most recreational drugs are. Ice, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, GHB, ketamine and LSD are illegal in every state and territory, and cannabis is illegal in most of the country. The ACT has decriminalised small personal amounts of some drugs, and penalties vary by state. Alcohol and tobacco are legal but regulated, medicines are legal only as prescribed, and nicotine vapes can only be sold by pharmacies.

What should I do if someone has overdosed?

Call triple zero (000) immediately. Stay with the person, follow the operator's instructions, and start CPR if they are not breathing. Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose, so give it if you have it while help comes. Do not wait for symptoms to settle, and never leave someone alone to sleep it off.

Will I get in trouble for calling an ambulance?

Calling triple zero (000) for an overdose is the right thing to do and it saves lives. Emergency services treat the person first, and the priority is always the person's life, not the call for help. Do not let fear of trouble delay the call.

Can I get naloxone without a prescription?

Yes. Pharmacists can supply naloxone after a short consultation, and it is free through the national Take Home Naloxone program. Anyone who may witness an opioid overdose can carry it, and it is safe to give even if you are not sure the overdose is opioid-related.

Where do I get help for my own drug use?

Start anywhere: your GP, the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015, Counselling Online, or a state drug and alcohol service. All of them are confidential, and most public treatment is free. You do not need to be ready to stop to be allowed to ask.

Is drug treatment covered by Medicare?

GP visits and some psychology sessions are Medicare rebated, and public drug and alcohol services are usually free. Some private treatment programs charge fees. Your GP can walk you through the options that fit your situation.

How can I help someone I care about?

Choose a calm moment, say what you have noticed without blame, and listen. Offer to go with them to a GP or to call the hotline together. Get your own support too through Family Drug Support on 1300 368 186, and keep the conversation door open rather than demanding an outcome.

What does harm reduction mean?

Harm reduction keeps people alive and healthy while they work things out, without requiring them to stop immediately. Examples include free naloxone, needle and syringe programs, and confidential counselling. It is official Australian policy, and it sits alongside treatment rather than replacing it.

Questions answered

Questions about illicit drugs?

If you need guidance on drug education, understanding the law, or finding the right support for your situation, reach out and our team will help point you in the right direction. We respond within 24 hours.

Talk to our team