'Ice' popularity prompts treatment calls

[apothecary]

Yeah 'cos what we need is another methadone.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1749753.htm

As Australia grapples with the growing problem of amphetamine addiction, some experts say a legal substitute for the drug needs to be urgently developed.

The calls come alongside a report released today, dealing with the use of methamphetamine, or ice, in the Asia-Pacific region, that says drug syndicates are now targeting Australia.

Law enforcement agencies say shutting down clandestine drug labs is proving difficult and they say the outlook is grim as young Australians turn from ecstasy to ice, which police say is more destructive than heroin.

Fledgling trials are already testing what medications reduce addicts' cravings in Australia.

The head of medical services for Melbourne's Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Dr Adrian Dunlop, says at least one drug is proving successful in the United States but more research is needed.

"Good, long-term treatments are at least several years away, and that would be the most optimistic prediction," he said.

"Maybe it might be longer, maybe five to 10 years away."

He says the treatment would be similar to a methadone program.

"The concept essentially is to look at medications that either help people reduce their drug use and/or reduce their cravings," he said

"If you can do those sorts of things, then it's very possible to reduce the problems people have related to substance abuse."

But there are issues with what to use to replace methamphetamine, as it can produce mental-health problems.

Dr Dunlop says users can develop paranoia and psychosis in the most severe cases.

"You don't want to make people psychotic by prescribing them medication," he said.

"So a fair bit of thought and certainly some good research needs to go into developing medications that can on one hand reduce people's desire or people's cravings to use amphetamines but on the other hand, keep them in treatment and try to reduce the problems they have related to their drug use."

He says trials of medafonil, which is currently used for narcolepsy, in Sydney and Adelaide are looking positive.

Dr Dunlop says any treatment needs to suit Australia's unique substance abuse problems and service delivery system.

"There's great value in getting a sense of whatever we develop - how is it implementable here?" he said.

"Is it going to be effective here? Is it feasible here even? So we do need to do that sort of work quite clearly."

'Massive challenge'

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) says ice poses a major threat to young people, as it is much easier for syndicates to manufacture than other drugs.

National manager of border and international Tim Morris says it poses a massive challenge for law enforcement agencies trying to prevent the drug from getting into Australia.

"These clandestine laboratories and precursor chemicals aren't tied to geographic and climatic locations as the cocaine industries and heroin industry have traditionally been, so potentially we're looking at any location for a clandestine laboratory either inside or outside Australia," he said.

Mr Morris says Australian consumers are willing to pay much more for drugs than their counterparts in Asia, making Australia an attractive target for traffickers.

He says they are increasingly targeting younger users.

"These syndicates market their goods very aggressively, whether it's ecstasy, cocaine or ice - they all want market share," he said.

"Australian consumers have typically paid higher prices by global standards for their drug, so Australia is always going to be an attractive market.

"And obviously, targeting younger users will be an attractive proposition for narcotic traffickers."

Ice use 'rising'

Australian National Council on Drugs chief executive Gino Vumbaca says its report shows more teenage Australians are smoking ice.

"Younger people with more disposable income are trying their hands at drug use," he said.

"We've seen that obviously in western countries a lot as well.

"And with the increasing wealth in the region, we're seeing younger kids on methamphetamine use experiment and start to use on a more regular basis."

Mr Vumbaca says the evidence from users shows the drug is relatively easy to obtain in Australia.

He says use began to peak a few years ago but authorities are only just beginning to notice the effects.

"What we're starting to see now is a lot of the problematic use come through into treatment services and people start to appear in health and legal systems," he said.

"By that, I mean that people that may have started to use a bit on the weekends or occasionally have developed into regular and problematic users and that takes a bit of time."