Amphetamine emergencies increase: report | Amphetamines

Amphetamine emergencies increase: report

Health services are dealing with an increase in amphetamine-related emergencies in NSW, but a shortage of heroin in recent years is not to blame, a report shows.
The report revealed the number of emergency department admissions for use of amphetamine-type substance such as ice and speed increased 139 per cent between 2002 and 2007.	Methamphetamine AKA "Ice"
The NSW Bureau of Crime and Statistics Research (BOSCAR) report said amphetamines use had increased, but this was not directly related to a heroin shortage in NSW.

Bureau director Dr Don Weatherburn said some heroin users turned to amphetamines during times of low supply.

"The evidence from the bureau's study, however, suggests that the shift was comparatively small," he said in a statement.

The report found no long-term inverse relationship between heroin and amphetamine use.

It is estimated 9.1 per cent of Australians over the age of 12 have used amphetamines.

Dr Weatherburn said the increase in amphetamine use was a concern for authorities as prolonged use of the drug often led to violent and aggressive behaviour.

A separate BOSCAR report released last week found a recent surge in heroin use in NSW was to blamed for a sharp rise in drug-related arrests in the state.

The quarterly crime statistics, which took in the first three months of 2008, showed a big jump in drug crimes.

It showed arrests for the use and possession of narcotics rose 29.1 per cent, a figure Dr Weatherburn also said was worrying for authorities.

The report also showed arrests for possession and use of ecstasy were up 16.8 per cent.

http://news.theage.com.au

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry