ECON1000

Two-thirds of users addicted to 'ice': report

By Jacqueline Maley, Medical Reporter
October 27, 2005 - 11:55AM

Recreational drug users are turning in droves to the highly addictive form of methamphetamine known as "ice" or "crystal meth", says a new report that provides the most comprehensive snapshot yet into the drug flooding Sydney.

Nearly two-thirds of 310 users of crystal meth interviewed are dependent on the drug, which the report authors say is becoming more socially acceptable.

Since 1999, the market for the more pure forms of ice and base methamphetamine has flourished, according to the study, released today by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Worryingly, the advent of ice on the market has been associated with smoking the drug, which yields a rapid and intense effect akin to injection, and in turn makes the drug user more susceptible to addiction.

"Young ecstasy users have taken up smoking crystal meth," said Rebecca McKetin, the report's lead author.

"Otherwise, most of them are pretty well adjusted; they are in regular employment with no criminal record ... but they are becoming dependent on the drug."

Social or recreational drug users saw smoking the drug as an acceptable and fairly harmless way of ingesting the drug, Dr McKetin said. But in fact, those who smoked it were three times more likely to be dependent on it than those who snorted it in its less concentrated powder form, often referred to as "speed".

Rates of psychosis among regular meth users were 11 times that of the general population and half the meth users who had experienced psychotic symptoms in the last year felt hostile or aggressive at the time.

It's no surprise. Just like America we've become really good at restricting the supply of drugs like cocaine and heroin, unfortunately the demand is still there and people who want a fix will simply drift to something more available, in this case something that's easy to smuggle either ready made or in precursor form and can be readily manufactured in Australia. Just further proof that the control method of fighting drug abuse isn't working.