Methamphetamine ‘ice’ use in Australia triples despite authorities’ crackdown

The number of Australians regularly using methamphetamine at least once per month has tripled since 2010, the first research quantifying the problem in Australia shows, despite authorities’ efforts to tackle the problem.

Crystallised methamphetamine use has been described as a public health crisis in Australia with authorities devoting large amounts of resources to tackle the problem.

Despite the efforts of authorities, including record drug seizures and arrests, the street-price of the drug continues to fall, while research published on Monday in the Medical Journal of Australia shows an increasing number of the country’s youth are becoming dependent on so-called ice.

Ice use increased from 20 per cent in 2010 to 50 per cent in 2013 despite methamphetamine’s powdered form decreasing by almost half, the study found.

“The increased number of problem methamphetamine users indicates a need to expand services to redress the health problems associated with regular methamphetamine use,” the researchers, led by Professor Louisa Degenhardt from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), said in a statement.

Using sources including drug treatment and hospitalisation data, the researchers estimated more than half of the 268,000 regular users are dependent on the drug, with usage increases concentrated in those aged 15-24 years of age, and 25-34 years of age where dependent use has doubled, respectively.