“I'm No Hero” - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterNovember 2002MethEdemic - the statistics tell a sobering tale• In the first six months of 2002, Customsseized double the amount of ecstasythat was seized during the whole of lastyear.• By the end of August 2002, Police haddetected nearly double the number ofclandestine drug laboratories producingamphetamines compared to last year.• Non-cannabis related drug offences,which include Amphetamine TypeSubstance (ATS) offences, increased by34% compared to the previous year.The statistics presented by Dr ChrisWilkins from the Centre for Social andHealth Outcomes Research and Evaluation(SHORE), Massey University to the recentAssociation National conference, tell asobering tale.What Are AmphetamineType Substances?Amphetamine Type Substances (ATS) arederivatives of amphetamine, likemethamphetamine, crystalmethamphetamine and amphetamineanalogues, such as ecstasy.Methamphetamine, (commonly knownas ‘speed’ or ‘meth’) is a powerfulpsychostimulant with characteristics andeffects that closely resemble cocaine.Dr Wilkins said that there had been testswhere heavy cocaine users had beengiven methamphetamine and were unableto distinguish the difference.The onset is slower and duration is longerthan the amphetamine sulphates (mostlydiet pills) which were commonlyencountered in the 1970’s.Crystal Methamphetamine, (commonlyknown as ‘ice’ or ‘crystal’, known in NZ as‘pure’ or ‘P’) is the crystallised form ofmethamphetamine equivalent to crackcocaine. Like crack, the crystallised formincreases the speed the drug is absorbed,and the intensity and duration of theeffects.MDMA; MDA; MDEA, (commonly known‘ecstasy’, ‘X’, Adam, Eve) have bothamphetamine properties andhallucinogenic characteristics like LSD.Risks and HarmsDr Wilkins described the problemsassociated with amphetamine typesubstances especially methamphetamine,as:• Dependency;• Psychosis; and• Violence.He said as Australia has hadamphetamine type substance problemslonger than New Zealand, theyhave better research and 85%of users who usedmethamphetamine monthlyreported at least onepsychological problem. Theseranged from depression,anxiety, paranoia,hallucinations, suicidalthoughts and violence. Peoplewho had used ecstasy (someonly three times in the lastyear) reported experiencingone or more of the following:insomnia, irritability, depression,confusion, hallucinations and suicidalthoughts. Dr Wilkins said problems fromuse, can often turn up after a long periodof controlled use and he expected thatthe real problems would turn up in NewZealand in a few years, as they had inother countries. These problems will haveimplications on our society, he said.National DrugSurveyComparison 1998& 2001 FindingsDr Wilkins was the projectmanager for the New ZealandNational Drug Survey whichinterviews a representativenational sample ofapproximately 5,500 peopleaged 15-45 years about theiralcohol, tobacco, marijuana,and other drug use, using aComputer Assisted Telephone Interview(CATI) system.Key findings related to AmphetamineType Substances:• Last year, of those surveyed, use ofamphetamine/methamphetaminealmost doubled, increasing from2.9% in 1998 to 5% in 2001.• Last year use of ecstasy increasedfrom 1.5% in 1998 to 3.4% in 2001.• Last year use of crystalmethamphetamine increased from0.1% in 1998 to 0.9% in 2001.Challenges of DesignerAmphetamines for Policeand PublicDr Wilkins said that a number of features ofsynthetic drugs make them more attractive forclandestine production than the traditionalplant based drugs.Although it takes a little more organisationthan simply growing a plant, the production ofsynthetic drugs is not limited to any specificgeographical region nor affected by seasonalcycles or weather conditions. The scale ofproduction of synthetic drugs is also veryflexible.Dr Wilkins advised clandestine laboratories canproduce a number of different types of drugsand it is only the end product that is illegal.This means the chemicals used to make thedrugs can be kept legally by ‘clan lab cooks’and police raids must have their timing right.Modifications can also be made structurally tosynthetic drugs. This exploits the existing laws,which are very specific as to what is a class Aor B illegal synthetic drug. Any deviation instructure means the drug is classed as C, withlesser penalties.Why are they so popular?Dr Wilkins said that while statistics showcannabis popularity remaining static ingrowth, several features of synthetic drugsmake them more attractive to drug users thanthe traditional plant based drug. Syntheticdrugs can generally be taken orally andconsequently users can avoid the social stigmaand health risks associated with injection orsmoking and they are (naively) perceived tobe safe, non-addictive and productive. Theyalso have been associated with affluence andsuccess, technological advancement, andmodernism.Dr Wilkins said that in three yearsamphetamine type substances had movedfrom being the third to the second mostpopular drug in New Zealand, reaching groupsof society that were not normally associatedwith regular drug use.What needs to happen legislatively?continued page 156155