National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy Background Paper

28
models might be useful. On the other hand, others have argued that such personal
experience could interfere with the capacity to deliver objective and effective interventions
(see Chapter 4).
Concern was also expressed about the use of MDMA by young people. The submission
from Headscape noted that:
ecstasy doesn’t generate the same emotional response...thought of as a ‘party
drug’ – not presenting with problems, don’t impact on services, not in contact with
criminal system...use is normalised, swallowing seen as attractive and easy method of
administration. Concerns are what’s in the pills and this makes use unsafe, e.g., PMA
– issue of pill testing. …. Ecstasy not viewed as having any related harms or problems,
but more as a social drug with use becoming more normalised. Also of concern is lack
of research about long-term effects of ecstasy.
During the consultations, the role of the media and the marketing of products to appeal
to young people were emphasised during the consultations. One participant pointed to
‘misleading and mischievous’ advertising for some soft drinks and chewing gum, which had
drug-related sub-texts.
The submission from Headscape noted that:
Young people, aged 12- 25 year (sic), should be identified as a priority target group
in the ATS strategy. It is clear from available research that this is the time when
recreational drug use is initiated. Early and appropriate intervention into drug misuse
and abuse impacts on young people’s choices around ongoing or prolonged use of
drugs and therefore the longer term impact on the health system.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
There is relatively little prevalence data on ATS use by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people. One source of such data is the Statistics on Drug Use in Australia 2002,
which found that 13% of Indigenous Australians reported using an illicit drug other than
cannabis in the last 12 months compared to 8% of other Australians (Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare, 2003). Evidence suggests that methamphetamine use is increasing
in Aboriginal communities and a preference among Indigenous injecting drug users for
methamphetamine over heroin (Nicholas & Shoobridge, 2005).
There is variation in substance use across geographical locations, and ATS are more
commonly used among Aboriginals living in urban areas (Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, 2006b). When police were asked about the prevalence of amphetamine in
Indigenous communities, 57% reported that it was commonly used in urban areas and
25% reported it was commonly used in non-urban areas (Putt, Payne & Milner, 2005).
The 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey found that, in
non-remote areas, amphetamine use in the previous 12 months among Indigenous males
had increased from 5% in 2002 to 10% in 2004-05, but remained at 5% for Indigenous
females (Trewin, 2006a). While the consultation process also referred predominantly to use
among Indigenous people in metropolitan centres and larger country towns, concern was
expressed regarding remote communities located near major industries (e.g., mining).