Methamphetamine use in Australia triples despite authorities' curb: study

The number of Australians regularly using methamphetamine at least once per month as 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 Ice.

Ice use increased from 20 percent in 2010 to 50 percent 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 Prof. Louisa Degenhardt from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), said in a statement.

Using sources including drug treatment and hospitalization 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.

Regular users had the drug at least once a month in the last year, while those with "impaired control" of their use and who continued to use despite health and other adverse consequences were deemed to be dependent.

Using the methods, which differ from official figures as government data measures anyone who used methamphetamine once in a year, estimates 2.09 percent of Australia's population to be regular users of the drug while 1.24 percent are classified dependent.

"These figures provide us with the first quantitative estimate of the scale of the problem of methamphetamine use in Australia," the researchers said.

The rate of dependent use had continued to increase since 2009-2010, when the rate was estimated to be 0.74 percent of the Australian population, and was higher than the previous peak of 1.22 percent in 2006-07.

"1.14 percent of young people aged 15-24 are estimated to be dependent on the drug compared with only 0.4 percent in 2009/2010," the researchers said, indicating the results suggest an increase in new methamphetamine users.

"The figures suggest that there is a need for early intervention among younger people aged 15-24 to prevent transition into dependence, and greater engagement of clients in treatment and other health services."

The Australian government's 2013 National Drug Strategy Household drug survey found 1.3 million people, or 7 percent, had used methamphetamine in their lifetime, while 400,000 people, or 2.1 percent, had done so in the prior 12 months.

In mid-February, Australian authorities arrested and charged four people in connection with the attempted import of 1.26 billion Australian dollars (896.42 billion U.S. dollars), potential street value, of methamphetamine via art supplies and gel bra inserts. The seizure was the largest methamphetamine-related bust in Australia's history. Endit