National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy Background Paper

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young people was noted in the submission from Drug Free Australia, which referred to
evidence supporting the conclusion that:
… teens who have a positive relationship with their parents are less likely to engage
in risky behaviours,
and consequently recommended a need to:
Expand the development of resources to support parents in the education of their
children about harmful drugs such as ATS.
Others were concerned about child protection issues, both in relation to exposure to
parental ATS use and to clandestine laboratories. Where parents/carers are involved in ATS
production, the risks associated with clandestine laboratories were a particular concern.
It was agreed by many participants that there was a need to develop a range of child
protection measures across the range of situations, including exposure to:
• Parental drug use during pregnancy;
• Parental drug use during the various developmental stages; and
• The risks of clandestine laboratories.
Community
The 2004 NDSHS provides some indication of the public perception of ATS. Small
proportions of the community identified meth/amphetamine (5.5%) and ecstasy (2.6%) as
drugs perceived to be related to a ‘drug problem’ (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
2005a). This was matched by equally small proportions that reported that they perceived
use of meth/amphetamine (3.1%) and ecstasy (4.2%) as ‘acceptable’. With regards to law
enforcement, very few supported any legalisation of personal use of meth/amphetamine,
and the small degree of support for such changes had declined from previous surveys
(6.8% in 2001 versus 4.7% in 2004). Proportions in favour of increasing penalties for meth/
amphetamine sale and supply remained stable and high (83.7% in 2001 versus 85.7%
in 2004). Respondents were also asked what actions should be taken for those found
in possession of these drugs for personal use. The greatest proportions of respondents
nominated ‘referral to treatment/education program’ for both meth/amphetamine (42.6%)
and ecstasy (41.1%). A ‘fine’ was nominated by 19.7% for meth/amphetamine and by 24.6%
for ecstasy, and ‘prison sentence’ by 20.8% for meth/amphetamine and 14.8% for ecstasy.
The consultations indicated that there was general agreement that there was a need to
educate the community about the nature and prevalence of ATS related harm – for example,
many participants believed that in the community heroin was considered the major drug of
concern, with little consideration of the harms arising from ATS.
For the community, much of the information about ATS use is provided by the popular
media, which is sometimes sensationalist and/or inaccurate, and might contribute to barriers
to effective prevention, law enforcement and treatment initiatives. It is suggested that, as
well as implementing effective information and education campaigns, one needs to address
sources of misinformation. For example, a number of commentators have suggested that