Crystallising the Ice Debate

As concern mounts nationally about the rise and spread of crystal methamphetamine, the term “Ice Epidemic" is being more and more widely used.

Statistically, it has been shown that approximately 2.5 percent of Australians aged over 14 years (around half a million people) have used methamphetamines over the past year, compared with around 9 percent who have used cannabis and more than 4 percent who have used ecstasy.

Pressure is mounting on authorities to develop strategies and solutions to the unfolding crisis. In response, the Prime Minister Tony Abbott has initiated a national ice taskforce designed to assess the current approach to tackling methamphetamine addiction and work out how a more coordinated and comprehensive nation-wide approach can be instigated. The Prime Minister commented, “As a citizen and as a parent I am appalled at what is happening on our streets and in our homes.”

In addition, the Baird Government recently unveiled a range of measures to tackle the ice epidemic, including greater law enforcement power: “We want to halt the march of this insidious drug and start putting lives and families back together.”

There seems to be no doubt that “Ice” is a very powerful problem. It was introduced in the 1930s as a stimulant. It is a very effective one. Both the Allied and Axis powers in the Second World War used it to instil a sense of invincibility in their armed forces. Methamphetamine is an attractive drug for many people - it induces euphoria, a sense of heightened strength and energy, is an appetite suppressant and can lead to weight loss.  

But it has an ugly side. 

Repeated use results in addiction. The amount used increases over time because of the development of tolerance. Previously effective amounts become ineffective to achieve the same feelings of euphoria. The user takes more and more and if use is interrupted, they suffer from crippling withdrawal.

The withdrawal syndrome is deeply unpleasant; it consists of a sense of lack of energy, inertia, increasing depression day by day, and in many cases suicidal feelings. Many of these features represent the opposite of the stimulating effects of the drug and the term "living on borrowed energy" which refers to the effects of amphetamines, is very apt. In addition, increasing doses can cause psychosis, where the user believes they are living in an unreal world, experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations (“voices”).

Drug addiction is a cunning and baffling disease that increases in impact over a period of time as habitual patterns of use develop and become a regular part of life. A person’s relationship with ice becomes characterised by obsession and compulsion. The obsession refers to the way they think about the drug – the time spent thinking and planning about when and where they will use, or thinking up strategies to limit their use. The compulsion refers to loss of control over their impulse to use.

Ice doesn’t discriminate. Both men and women have become involved with it and have found their lives put on hold as everything is increasingly centred on their drug use.

Ice addiction is a challenging illness on many levels; societally, economically, individually but also

for the families and close friends of those affected and for the health care professionals at the front end of tackling this challenge.

In among all of the important dialogue about the problem - the increasing levels in purity of the drug being used, the availability of the drug, the associated rise in crime, the increase in the frequency of use and the shift in population demographics using the drug - there is another critical dialogue that needs to be acknowledged and has yet to achieve the profile it requires in order to re-dress the balance of this problem.

That dialogue is treatment.

Information from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) showed that in 2011 – 2012 the number of national amphetamine-related inpatient hospital admissions was 250 admissions per million persons. This is the highest number ever recorded. In addition, ambulance responses and treatment presentation data are also increasing specific to amphetamines.

Australian drug treatment episode figures have recently indicated that amphetamines were the third most common principal drug of concern nationally in 2012 – 2013 accounting for 14 per cent (1 in 7) of treatment episodes. This is an increase of 7 per cent on previous data from 2009 – 2010 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2014b).

These statistics would support that, if we aren’t talking about treatment in relation to ice, then we are missing perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle.

Treatment for ice addiction needs to go beyond the issue of physical detoxing. Substance addiction is much more complicated than just the physicality of a drug’s effect on the body. What must also be treated are the underlying mental health problems at the heart of the addiction. Recovery from drug addiction is likely to be more successful when underlying causes and environmental factors are addressed at the same time as an individual stops using.

When an addict is admitted for treatment they are usually in a stage of crisis. Withdrawing from a chemical addiction can be challenging, uncomfortable and even dangerous when attempting it alone. For this reason a professionally supervised detox is strongly recommended. Addiction is most effectively treated in a therapeutic environment supported by addiction specialist health professionals.

One of the most effective treatment methodologies for methamphetamine use has been shown to be multi-disciplinary care under the supervision of an experienced team of professionals and involving motivational interviewing, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

When an addict is treated as an impatient their psychosis and withdrawal can be treated and any underlining mental health problems can be identified. One of the heart-warming rewards for the person affected and their family is to have their life become more stable, be relived of disabling paranoia and depression and gain increased confidence.

Without treatment an addict has little hope of recovery. Access to treatment is critical.

The Prime Minister’s taskforce is a crucial acknowledgement of the problem. The next step is to create effective pathways to address the problem and ensure that this taskforce empowers more than just conversation and recognition.

Let’s hope that within the ongoing debate and political assertions that this seed of hope gets the voice and profile it needs to contribute to overcoming the problem at hand.

About South Pacific Private
South Pacific Private is Australia’s leading mental health and addiction treatment facility offering inpatient and day programs to treat anxiety disorders, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioural addictions, alcohol addiction and substance abuse. Treatment at South Pacific Private offers the best possibility of recovery through its multidisciplinary, tailored programs which are designed to meet the individual needs of clients.