The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) says it is "regrettable" that Tasmania's sewerage and water provider TasWater has opted out of national drug wastewater testing.

ACIC's National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program released a second report, which maps national use of drugs like ice, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), alcohol, tobacco and medications.  Tasmania's council-owned wastewater operators "declined to participate" in the national study, leaving Tasmania alongside the Northern Territory as the only jurisdictions not included.

"It limits our understanding of trends and emerging issues in those jurisdictions, and the ability to compare current findings with those published in the first report," said ACIC chief executive Chris Dawson.  "Participation from all states and territories is vital to informing our understanding of the national picture of drug use and demand," he added.

Tasmania's minister for Local Government Peter Gutwein is demanding to know why TasWater pulled out of the study.

"This information will assist not only law enforcement but also public health authorities to ensure that they can target appropriate programs," Mr. Gutwein said.  "It enables law enforcement, it enables public health authorities to understand what's happening with drug use both in cities but also in regions and TasWater's refusal to take part means that they're not assisting against the scourge that ice has become in our communities."