This report finds differences in drug use between male and female detainees and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous female detainees, highlighting different patterns of drug usage and dependencies and of associated most serious offences leading to arrest. The Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program makes a quarterly assessment of drug use by police detainees around Australia.

The study reports on self-reported benzodiazepine use using DUMA data since 1999. Use was lower than for heroin and at similar levels as amphetamines. It is frequently used in conjunction with other drugs, which indicates a greater potential for harm.