Australians are spending billions on illegal drugs, more than on some everyday supermarket staples, according to the latest national wastewater drug monitoring report.

Australia now ranks among the world’s heaviest meth users, with consumption up 23 per cent in a year, while cocaine use has also hit a record high.

In total, Australians are spending a record $14.3 billion on illicit drugs.

Authorities warn the findings highlight a growing and deeply entrenched problem with the data stating it paints “a picture of booming business for organised crime networks and a community using more illegal substances than it ever has before.”

The figures raise fresh concerns about the scale of drug use across the country and the criminal networks profiting from it.