Impacts-of-methamphetamine-in-Victoria-Community-Assessment-Penington-Institute

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6.2.5. Data from Ambulance Victoria, reported in the “Ambo Project”The Ambo Project, a collaboration between Ambulance Victoria and Turning Point for the VictorianDepartment of Health, measures trends in non-fatal alcohol and drug-related ambulance attendancesin Victoria [94]. The report from the project is published annually. Monthly data is provided on an ongoingbasis. Published annually, it is a method of monitoring drug-related harms across the state. Inthe past it has published data from metropolitan call-outs, but as of the 2013 report (for 2011-2012period) it has also included data from the rest of Victoria.Examination of the reports over time show a clear increase in the number of ambulance call-outsinvolving methamphetamine. For example, the 2011 report examining call-outs for the 2009-2010period noted increased ambulance call-outs related to methamphetamine, describing it as an upwardtrend. At that stage, the peak per month during 2010 was approximately 19 callouts in all ofMelbourne, in February and March [94].The 2012 report for 2010-2011 noted that the 2006 peak had been surpassed, and that there was, bythat stage, a “pronounced upward trend” [95]. The following reporting period, 2011-2012, showed aneven more dramatic increase in the number of methamphetamine-related ambulance call-outs, againnoting a “pronounced upward trend” [96].As the graph below shows, the most recent report – covering the 2012-2013 period - shows adramatic increase in the number of callouts related to methamphetamine, in both metropolitan andregional areas [97]. Looking at the most recent and previous reports it reveals that there was a 10-fold rise during the five years to mid-2013. The rise in regional Victoria is dramatic, but it should beborne in mind that on a population basis, the rate of crystal methamphetamine ambulance calloutswas lower in regional Victoria that in metropolitan Melbourne.12001000Crystal Meth ambo callouts 2008/2009 -2012/2013Source: Turning Point Ambo Project reports11128006005924002000282107231136782008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013Crystal Meth MetroCrystal Meth Regional28
By compiling the 2012-2013 monthly reports and past monthly figures produced in previous reports, itis possible to see the month by month fluctuations as well as the period of time in which theambulance crystal methamphetamine ambulance callouts began to rise substantially. It is evidentfrom this graph that the substantial rise began just after the previous reporting period ended, and bylate 2012 and early 2013 it was clear that something was happening in the community that wasleading to larger numbers of people being responded to by paramedics due to crystalmethamphetamine. The 2012-2013 report again shows that there are far more crystalmethamphetamine ambulance callouts recorded that during the period previously regarded as beingthe high-point of ice use, the 2005-2006 period [97].It is useful to again examine the methamphetamine purity data graph when looking at the ambulancedata timelines.Crystal meth ambulance callouts, Victoria, monthly figures.Source: compilation of Turning Point Ambo Project data160140120100806040200Aug-10Oct-10Dec-10Feb-11Apr-11Jun-11Aug-11Oct-11Dec-11Feb-12Apr-12Jun-12Aug-12Oct-12Dec-12Feb-13Apr-13Jun-13MetroRegionalThis 2012-2013 increase also coincides with the Victoria Police data discussed earlier, and also theperiod of time that Penington Institute began receiving numerous reports from the harm reductionworkforce. In addition, it coincides with patterns that began to emerge in the early warning system,the EIDHP.As Table 8 shows, analysis of 2011/2012 data shows a lower population-level rate of ambulance calloutsto methamphetamine in metropolitan compared with regional Victoria.29
Page 1 and 2: IMPACTS OF METHAMPHETAMINEIN VICTOR
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 61. EXECUT
Page 6 and 7: AcknowledgementsPenington Institute
Page 8 and 9: communications interventions. Local
Page 10 and 11: 3. IntroductionMethamphetamine is a
Page 12 and 13: Component Four: In-depth interviews
Page 14 and 15: That ABS analysis looked at 2010. I
Page 16 and 17: attribute poor health status to the
Page 18 and 19: Family relationshipsMethamphetamine
Page 20 and 21: Development of coalitions of suppor
Page 22 and 23: Table 2: Annual median purity of me
Page 24 and 25: Victoria accounted for the greatest
Page 26 and 27: methamphetamine-related offences ha
Page 30 and 31: Table 8: Ambo Project summary of ca
Page 32 and 33: A homelessness worker in the Hume r
Page 34 and 35: Methamphetamine becoming cheaper:Al
Page 36 and 37: Compared with other substances, a n
Page 38 and 39: Many people noted that methamphetam
Page 40 and 41: “Indigenous communities are hard
Page 42 and 43: Services noted that methamphetamine
Page 44 and 45: An AOD worker noted that, in relati
Page 46 and 47: drug and alcohol stuff and the depr
Page 48 and 49: Police7.7. Impacts on service syste
Page 50 and 51: A leading addiction specialist base
Page 52 and 53: Services noted that it was often ha
Page 54 and 55: One of the respondents said he gene
Page 56 and 57: For both young men it was the escal
Page 58 and 59: Deciding to seek helpFor both Xavie
Page 60 and 61: 8. Drug testing populations: Waste
Page 62 and 63: Table 10: Number of doses consumed
Page 64 and 65: provision of wrap around services b
Page 66 and 67: 17. Australian Institute of Health
Page 68 and 69: 52. McKetin R, Lubman D, Lee N, Ros
Page 70 and 71: 87. Iversen J, Chow S, Maher L. Aus

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