Amphetamines use rising in WA

[apothecary]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1599500.htm

Health authorities say the use of amphetamines, especially crystal methamphetamine or 'ice', is on the rise in Western Australia.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says the growing use of the drug is placing additional pressure on emergency departments at hospitals and mental health services.

Nathan Gibson from Graylands Hospital says there is no doubt the drug is linked to mental illness as the number of users being admitted to the psychiatric hospital is also on the increase.

"We've seen probably a doubling of amphetamine-related admissions to Graylands over the last four years from 5 per cent to 10 per cent," he said.

"It probably reflects the presentation of amphetamine abuses to emergency departments, but certainly amphetamines clearly are associated with psychosis and we see the end point of that at Graylands."

[WitchDoctor]

god damn tweakers!

it's true, it's easy to see the growth of meth use... it's way too easy to synthesize.

[Hagakure]

how much does cheapnes and availability factor into drug use?

im guessing a lot.

would the legalisation of safer chems decrease use of the more dangerous ones?

im thinking yes

[WitchDoctor]

how much does cheapnes and availability factor into drug use?

im guessing a lot.

would the legalisation of safer chems decrease use of the more dangerous ones?

im thinking yes

hmm, legalisation of marijuana...? or an adaption of the soft drug policy of holland.

If mushrooms were legal, then i'm sure we wouldn't have this problem to the degree we have it.

[Rev]

maybe

maybe not

not everyone likes hallucinogens

we are a minority

stimulants, opiates, cannabinoids, sedatives

to each metabolic and personality type their own choice of substance...

we dont need one safe drug we need a choice of safer alternatives and social etiquette to suit all psychologies

[Hagakure]

i agree hallucinogens aint for everyone but they are a good start.

there is no way mushrooms should be illegal. when there was that mushroom lophole in england and they were suddenly legal the amount of users went up 800% or something crazy.

i totally agree that it aint just the drugs though. social ettiquette is crucial.

i think the message of "smoke weed everyday" and other encouraging words to go chronic from gangsta rap probably fucked a few people back. if you had influential tunes informing about safeguards and portraying sensible drug use (yet not sounding like a government chump) you could help a lot of people.

[WitchDoctor]

i agree hallucinogens aint for everyone but they are a good start.

there is no way mushrooms should be illegal. when there was that mushroom lophole in england and they were suddenly legal the amount of users went up 800% or something crazy.

i totally agree that it aint just the drugs though. social ettiquette is crucial.

i think the message of "smoke weed everyday" and other encouraging words to go chronic from gangsta rap probably fucked a few people back. if you had influential tunes informing about safeguards and portraying sensible drug use (yet not sounding like a government chump) you could help a lot of people.

i like the idea of a rapper singing about smoking pot, but only on a weekly or fortnightly basis lol!

i agree that a variety of substances should be avaiable, as you hear the meth head's saying they are scared of acid, but this may also be due to the image that gets put through in the public schooling system. I remember the long lectures about how i'd see spiders and tare off my face, yet there was nothing and continues to be very little on ice. So when the person comes across it in the real world, how are they supposed to react? It goes back to the whole idea of drug education and responsibility, if people were responsible and didn't take things willy nilly in copious amounts there would be much less problems.

[Hagakure]

Smmmmmooookke weeed evvvery forrrtnight

whhhhaaaaattt

okkkkaaaaaaay

Smmmmmooookke weeed evvvery forrrtnight

whaaaaaatt

okkkaaaaaay

featuring little jon

[Rev]

copious amounts of halucinogens can be a very good thing

whether it be a binge with CS or yours truly

or a bwiti initiation ritual to break open the head

i have had (sort of) conversations while tripping with people on meth and coke who freak out about acid/shrooms/hallucinogens

making you go mad or some shit - whatever guys :rollseyes:

drugs that arent all nice are the best for you

hallucinogens are challenging, even unpleasant at times

but it depends on personality

plenty of people i meet like to get 'High' and thats it

well bully for them

i expect more of my drugs - i expect the unfoldling of existence, i expect the revelation of and compreension of universal mysteries, and im not afraid to suffer to get them

lucky ive not been disappointed

[Hagakure]

sure big amounts can be great. if you get stoned get really stoned. i think the frequency is the issue not the amounts.

you body can handle losing it completely for a night.

losing it a little bit constantly does more damage IMHO.

[WitchDoctor]

drugs that arent all nice are the best for you

hallucinogens are challenging, even unpleasant at times

but it depends on personality

plenty of people i meet like to get 'High' and thats it

well bully for them

i expect more of my drugs - i expect the unfoldling of existence, i expect the revelation of and compreension of universal mysteries, and im not afraid to suffer to get them

lucky ive not been disappointed

i totally agree man! one has to go on a tough journey to come to a feeling of happiness, the cheap fake high you get from meth will never beat the euphoria you get on psychedelics from a realisation.

[apothecary]

i agree that a variety of substances should be avaiable, as you hear the meth head's saying they are scared of acid

Ditto to everyone who said this.

I've gone my entire life without anyone ever speaking to me about meth in real life, up until a few weeks ago at which point I was asked ~5 times in the space of a week if I smoked (and wanted) meth.

I try and dissuade people from doing that shit. I can't believe it has made it into a few of the circles I frequent.

One of the heads who asked me about meth, had heard of DMT, and it scared the shit out of him. He said he heard it came from inbreds in Nimbin who harvest it, and he couldn't believe I was contemplating going doofing on acid but refused to touch meth when he offered.

It seemed like a huge disparity to him, with meth being much safer for the brain than psychedelics.

[Rev]

He said he heard it came from inbreds in Nimbin who harvest it

ROTFLMAO

Im sure theyve been called many things but that might just be a new one

Inbreeding...

you just dont know what it'll do to you

[Dodie]

Lmfao guys..

I dont think that there would be much of a rise/decline in usage regardless of the drugs legal status.

If i want to do a drug i will, its curiosity. But i know where to draw the line.

Its a big pity all of the stigmas attached to psychedelics. So many ppl think ice is ok and if you take a psyc it'll just fuck your head in and theres a possibility to "never come back"

Iv been offerd ice so many times that it just shits me when someone offers it to me after telling them my hate for it..

But all in all there are ppl who use ice safely and have respect for it. Pity its such a small ammount..

[CaptAmazing]

I'm not surprised that there's lots in WA. They have lots of oil and gas fields and heaps of those blokes work weird hours for 12hrs stright. Even though lots of rigs have drug tests some don't.

Also, in Sydney I always associated "ice" with gay people.

[Legba]

Also, in Sydney I always associated "ice" with gay people.

i believe the stereotype is "Nice". :D

imho, any substance in the wrong hands = problems. Ice seems to be worse than most, thou.