Alarm as ecstasy users turn to ice

[Brash]

While this is not cannabis related news, the last 2 paragraphs sums much up of the drug problem in Australia:

 

Brash

----------------

Author: Ruth Pollard

Date: 1/10/2005

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Copyright: © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.

Link: article link to SMH site

 

Alarm as ecstasy users turn to ice

By Ruth Pollard Health Reporter

October 1, 2005

 

Hospital emergency departments are watching with alarm as the popularity of the methamphetamine known as crystal, which is highly addictive and often 80 per cent pure, increases.

 

Still mostly concentrated among those who use party drugs or inject drugs, crystal - also known as ice - is replacing the powder form of methamphetamine, speed, as the stimulant of choice, experts say.

 

A study of regular ecstasy users found 5 per cent reported having used crystal in 2000, but by last year 50 per cent of ecstasy users reported having used crystal, said Louisa Degenhardt, a senior lecturer at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. "You have got average 80per cent purity with crystal compared to 10per cent purity with powder," she said.

 

While the overall prevalence of methamphetamine use across the country has remained steady at about 3.4 per cent of the population, there are increasing reports of a rise in harmful use consistent with people switching from a low purity form of the drug (speed) to one with higher purity (ice), she said.

 

The drug drives the part of the brain associated with mood, releasing a rush of serotonin and dopamine and promoting a sense of euphoria and invincibility. It is smoked in a glass pipe, snorted or injected.

 

There had been a 58 per cent increase of hospital presentations for methamphetamine-related psychosis, said Dr Peter McGeorge, director of mental health services at St Vincent's Hospital.

 

Crystal was affecting people from many walks of life, he said. "There is no doubt that the presentations have increased at St Vincent's, from 200 admissions per year to 1300. It is a dramatic increase. Clinically, crystal is not as addictive as heroin or nicotine, so we are still trying to sort out how much of the increase is related to how popular the drug is as opposed to how addictive it is."

 

A paramedic, Ian Johns, who has worked in the inner and eastern suburbs of Sydney for 17 years, said while crystal users were often aggressive, paranoid and difficult to deal with, nothing came close to the problems caused by alcohol abuse.

 

"You might have one crystal overdose in two months but you would have done at least 100 involving alcohol, where they want to fight … [or] they are unreasonable - every single case is completely unpredictable."

[Tom]

A paramedic, Ian Johns, who has worked in the inner and eastern suburbs of Sydney for 17 years, said while crystal users were often aggressive, paranoid and difficult to deal with, nothing came close to the problems caused by alcohol abuse.

 

"You might have one crystal overdose in two months but you would have done at least 100 involving alcohol, where they want to fight … [or] they are unreasonable - every single case is completely unpredictable."

Why the hell don't they listen to guys like him when they are setting their "drug war" priorities? Chemical drugs do cause noticeable and serious problems in society but they are almost negligible when compared to those caused by alcohol and tobacco addictions. It really goes to show much influence the almighty tax dollar has on our laws, what we do may be against the law, but at least it’s honest.

 

[Gush]

Fuckin ay!

[Chev]

I'm going to go buy one of those T-shirts with the guy smoking a joint on the front, it says 'Hey! At least it's not crack....' just in protest

Stupid really, the world would be so different if they'd prohibited Alcohol instead of MJ......