By ALESHA CAPONE AND NICOLE VALICEK
EXPERTS have urgently called for more services in the West to address the dangerous drug ’ice’ which is becoming more popular with addicts than heroin.
According to Ambulance Victoria, between 2010 and 2012 paramedics attended more than 150 ice-related emergencies in the West.
Michael Girolami is director of Community Support Services at ISIS Primary Care in St Albans, which runs a drugs counselling program with more than 2000 referrals per year.
“When I review our statistics over the last four years, there is no doubt that referrals involving crystal meth/ice have increased significantly,” Mr Girolami said.
This year, among people accessing ISIS counselling, ice was the third-most popular drug of choice – in front of heroin.
Mr Girolami said the main reasons behind ice use included its accessibility, price and the way it could be “relatively easy” to manufacture with the right ingredients and equipment.
“We believe that there needs to be increased specialised resources devoted to developing the most successful strategies in working both with young people and adults who have an ice addiction,” he said.
Hobsons Bay Police Inspector Richard Paterson said officers have noticed that an increasing number of young people in the municipality have become dependent on ice.
“I believe that ice is becoming more affordable and accessible,” he said.
Insp Paterson said in his experience ice users often become irrational, irritable, unpredictable and occasionally violent.
He said as a result of this and a person’s dependency on the drug, they can turn to crime to support their habit.
“It is easy to become dependent on ice and often users need to commit crime to maintain their dependency,” Insp Paterson said.
“As with all drugs, you never really know what you are getting or putting into your body.”
Outreach worker Richard Tregear, who is based at Kids Off The Kerb in Footscray, said ice – the ’street’ name for crystal methamphetamine – has “become very commercial and very widespread”.
“In my mind, ice is twice as expensive as heroin and twice as bad for you as heroin,” Mr Tregear said.
“I think we’ve had an ice crisis for years and we haven’t accepted it and haven’t pressed the panic button.”
Mr Tregear said although the State Government recently announced a parliamentary inquiry into the ice epidemic, funds would be better spent to set up drug treatment, referral and counselling services.
His fellow advocate Les Twentyman said youth outreach workers should be installed in schools to combat drug use and absenteeism.
Mr Twentyman said ice deprived users of sleep and caused extreme paranoia, violence and bizarre behaviour.
“We’ve noticed ice has become the drug of choice over heroin,” he said.
“That’s why our work on the streets is so dangerous now.”
Mr Twentyman said he witnessed an incident where “eight policemen and three cans of capsicum spray” were needed to subdue an ice-user who wanted to attack a youth worker in Footscray.
Insp Paterson said if residents believed someone in their family was using ice, they should contact the Drug Support Service Western Health in Footscray who can offer support.
