AcknowledgementsPen<strong>in</strong>gton <strong>Institute</strong> would like to thank the <strong>Victoria</strong>n M<strong>in</strong>ister for Mental Health, <strong>Community</strong> Services,Disability Services and Reform, Hon. Mary Wooldridge MP, and the Department <strong>of</strong> Health forsupport<strong>in</strong>g this project.This project would not have been possible without the <strong>in</strong>put <strong>of</strong> service providers, people who haveused crystal <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong>, and their families. We thank them for generously shar<strong>in</strong>g their timeand knowledge with us.The project was overseen by a high-level Reference Group compris<strong>in</strong>g Ms Judith Abbott (<strong>Victoria</strong>nDepartment <strong>of</strong> Health), Dr Karen Adams (<strong>Victoria</strong>n Aborig<strong>in</strong>al <strong>Community</strong> Controlled HealthOrganisations), Mr Sam Biondo (VAADA), Steve Fontana (Assistant Commissioner <strong>Victoria</strong> Police), MrBernie Geary (Commissioner for Children and Young People), Magistrate Margaret Hard<strong>in</strong>g, MrAndrew Jackomos (Commissioner for Aborig<strong>in</strong>al Children and Young People), Dr Jennifer Hutton(Australasian College <strong>of</strong> Emergency Medic<strong>in</strong>e), Ms Gabrielle Lev<strong>in</strong>e (Department <strong>of</strong> Justice), Pr<strong>of</strong>essorDan Lubman (Director <strong>of</strong> Turn<strong>in</strong>g Po<strong>in</strong>t), Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mike McDonough (<strong>Victoria</strong>n Department<strong>of</strong> Health), Ms Jenny Pavlou (<strong>Victoria</strong> Police) and Ms Karen Smith (Ambulance <strong>Victoria</strong>).We are grateful to Melbourne Water, Barwon Water, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water and NorthEast Water for provid<strong>in</strong>g access to data, and coord<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g water collection, which allowed a WasteWater Analysis (WWA) to be conducted.We would also like to acknowledge the work by School <strong>of</strong> Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University<strong>of</strong> South Australia, <strong>in</strong> analysis <strong>of</strong> the sewage samples. In particular, we would like to thank Pr<strong>of</strong>essorJason White, Doctor Chang Chen and Mr Benjam<strong>in</strong> Tscharke – who provided the written analysis and<strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to the benefits and limitations <strong>of</strong> this methodology.6
1. Executive SummaryThe amphetam<strong>in</strong>e market, which <strong>in</strong>cludes crystal <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong>, <strong>in</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> <strong>in</strong>volves hundreds <strong>of</strong>millions <strong>of</strong> dollars <strong>in</strong> sales. The highly pr<strong>of</strong>itable, relatively cheap and easy-to-consume product is<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly appear<strong>in</strong>g throughout <strong>Victoria</strong> and has challenged even small communities. Increasedavailability <strong>of</strong> crystal <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong>, also known as ‘ice’, was becom<strong>in</strong>g apparent at least as earlyas 2012, with the period <strong>of</strong> escalated frontl<strong>in</strong>e service awareness be<strong>in</strong>g around the September-October period <strong>of</strong> 2012. This is the same period <strong>in</strong> which ambulance attendances attributed to crystal<strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> began a sharp and steady rise. A feature <strong>of</strong> its presence is that it is be<strong>in</strong>g feltacross a wide range <strong>of</strong> demographics.This report is based on a literature review, analysis <strong>of</strong> secondary data sources, <strong>in</strong>terviews andanalysis <strong>of</strong> sewage. It is clear that frontl<strong>in</strong>e services, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g health, justice and welfare, are be<strong>in</strong>gchallenged by <strong>in</strong>dividual level, family level and community level consequences <strong>of</strong> problematic<strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> use.Methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e purity has risen <strong>in</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong>, from an approximately 20 per cent <strong>in</strong> the 2010-2011report<strong>in</strong>g period to more than 75 per cent <strong>in</strong> the 2012-2013 period. This confirms that drug marketscan shift quickly and dramatically. Police arrests and ambulance data <strong>in</strong>dicate that <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong><strong>in</strong>cidents have surpassed what was previously regarded as the last ‘peak’, the 2005/2006 period.Judg<strong>in</strong>g by comments and secondary data analysis <strong>in</strong> this report, the impost <strong>of</strong> crystal<strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> upon the police, justice and health systems, such as the ambulance service andemergency departments, may be greater than has been recognised to date.It is clear that alongside global flows <strong>of</strong> <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> reach<strong>in</strong>g our communities, <strong>Victoria</strong>nproduction <strong>of</strong> <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> also cont<strong>in</strong>ues to be well established. Illicit drug markets do change,but it is not known if this period <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>creased purity and apparent availability is a short phase, orwhether it may be more structural and hence long term.Needle and Syr<strong>in</strong>ge Programs are already see<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creased number <strong>of</strong> clients who use ice, which is<strong>of</strong>ten used alongside other drugs (polydrug use). This has implications for future blood borne virustransmission environments.People with many years experience work<strong>in</strong>g with people who use illicit drugs noted that there seemedbe a particularly fast trajectory from occasional use to problematic and harmful <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong>use. Methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e can affect people and their families quickly, and <strong>in</strong> many physical,psychological, legal and f<strong>in</strong>ancial ways. There has been more than a 250 per cent <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> thenumber <strong>of</strong> fatal overdoses <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce 2010. Methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e is now secondto hero<strong>in</strong> as an illicit drug contribut<strong>in</strong>g to overdose deaths <strong>in</strong> this state.There is a sense that response systems, on the whole, are not yet able to cope with the scale <strong>of</strong> theproblem. This <strong>in</strong>cludes health, corrections, hous<strong>in</strong>g and family support. It is clear from ambulancecall-out and police case data, as well as reports from frontl<strong>in</strong>e health and social services, that theimpost <strong>of</strong> <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> upon response systems is enormous.The crystal <strong>methamphetam<strong>in</strong>e</strong> issue is real, and genu<strong>in</strong>ely alarm<strong>in</strong>g many communities and theirmembers, who <strong>in</strong> areas such as Mildura, are look<strong>in</strong>g for and driv<strong>in</strong>g forms <strong>of</strong> ‘local’ responses. Thelevel <strong>of</strong> community concern is reflected <strong>in</strong> the thousands <strong>of</strong> people attend<strong>in</strong>g community <strong>in</strong>formationsessions, especially <strong>in</strong> regional areas. Frontl<strong>in</strong>e services, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g police and health, as well as themembers <strong>of</strong> the general community are seek<strong>in</strong>g factual <strong>in</strong>formation rather than alarmist fear-based7
Change language