While alcohol is known to cause society the most harm, the conspicuous behavior of crystal methamphetamine, a.k.a. Ice, users has earned this drug a reputation as public enemy No. 1.
Users are known to become quickly addicted, and when high on the drug can be fearlessly violent, becoming the scourge of police, hospital emergency departments and any members of the public unlucky enough to encounter them.
Ice is increasingly being targeted by authorities, not least on the North Coast where a Taskforce Forum was held a year ago to discuss what should be done.
The first clear outcome is a $5.7 funding package, announced on 12 May, near the start of the federal election campaign, by marginal seat holder Kevin Hogan, the MP for Page, and visiting Senator Fiona Nash, the Minister for Rural Health.
On the same day, three men were arrested for allegedly smuggling 42kg of ice into Australia, said to be the equivalent to 420,000 street deals.
The local funding will be managed by the North Coast Primary Health Network, which will, in Mr Hogan’s words, “develop drug treatment services and help reduce the demand for this very dangerous drug.”
From 1 July, the PHN will allocate the money to provide extra rehabilitaiton services.
Attending the announcement was former ‘ice’ user Shana Miller, now a high achieving university student who moved to Lismore from Kingaroy, Qld.
Leaving had been essential to escape the peer influence of drug users and the boredom of life.
“It is possible to recover and go on to have a wonderful, successful life,” she told a gathering that was impressed by her courage and moved by her story. During the height of her addiction, she even avoided seeing a doctor out of fear that she would incarcerated and lose her two young children.
To ensure that alcohol and drugs such as cannabis, heroin and prescription medications also go under the microscope, the PHN has arranged a broad summit for organisations working in this field. Appropriately, it will be held on 6 June - D (for drug?) Day.
