War on drugs starts at home
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The fear of ‘ice’ is justified.
It’s a drug manufactured by readily available chemicals, and is a stimulant for the brain and nervous system, often resulting in heightened, agitated, even violent behaviour.
Speed, base and ice are all the same drug, but the difference with ice is its purity.
While speed is normally less than 10 per cent pure, ice is 60-80 per cent pure, making it more addictive and resulting in worse side-effects, such as psychosis, chronic sleeplessness and skin sores.
But although the personal impact is disastrous, the first speaker at last week's Eden ice forum warned against hysteria.
“It’s not as prevalent as we’re led to believe," addiction medicine specialist from the Lyndon Community at Orange, Dr Rod MacQueen, said.
"And those engaged in extreme behaviour is minimal.
“The police can only focus on those ice users who aren’t functioning on the drug, so we don’t have enough data to know how destructive ice is.”
Dr MacQueen said that nicotine and alcohol remained the two most addictive, destructive killers in Australian society.
He also emphasised the dangers of stigmatising and marginalising drug users in general.
He spoke about past "drug cycles" - including marijuana and heroin - where communities have cycled through their use, abuse and then escaped, often without government or police intervention.
And he warned of the great danger focusing on the drug per se rather than the underlying causes, a warning echoed by all five forum speakers.
According to drug and alcohol counsellor, Brian Francis, "unless you understand a person’s life experience, any treatment will be hit and miss.”
Caroline Long, representing the ‘Staying Home Leaving Violence’ program in Bega, concurred with Mr Francis.
Both Mr Francis and Ms Long espoused a non-judgemental approach to drug users, encouraging trust and respect, and discussed different ways to combat addiction including detox, residential rehabilitation and outpatient counselling, with outreach workers being the key.
“Community-based response is the most important ‘catchment’,” Mr Francis said.
“And more resources need to be given to families.
"They are on the front line, and the most likely to get drug users to transition to a place of hope.”
Detective Inspector Kevin McNeil also focused on the role of family in the war against drugs.
“Eden is in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne, and remote," Detective Inspector McNeil said.
"There are pockets in Eden where there are dealers and kids using ice.
"If one teenager gets some ice, and pulls out a pipe and hands it around, that’s the start of a chain of addiction.
“How does this happen?
"Because an adult or parent is not present, there’s no supervision.”
Detective Inspector McNeil said 'Don’t take drugs' was the simple message that parents should tell their children.
“And we have to broaden how we define ‘domestic violence’ in the war on drugs,” he said.
“For example, a kid stealing from his granny to get money to buy drugs is a form of domestic violence, and should be reported, not covered up.”
He called on the Aboriginal community to forget their fear of police and police racism, and report offences, saying that it was only through reporting that police were empowered to investigate and deliver justice.
“Don’t stop asking for support," Detective Inspector McNeil said.
"The police will help you.
"But you have to talk to us, and give us the information,” he said.
Katungul CEO, Jon Rogers, gave a final insight into how to tackle drug addiction - and it goes right back to the very start of life.
“It all begins in the womb,” Mr Rogers said.
“People can get off track before the age of three years old.
"It’s called complex trauma.
"Mothers must be guided about no drugs, no alcohol, so that the baby enters the world healthy.
"And we need much better early childhood support, promoting good bonding between mother and child.
Mr Rogers said trauma in the first five critical years led to a lack of emotional control and an inability to problem solve, and a higher vulnerability to drug abuse.
And so from the opening words of Pastor Uncle Cruse - calling for better care of children as a way to forge a drug-free world - the forum finished full circle.
It seems the war on drugs, even a drug as alien, synthetic and intimidating as ice, begins in the heart ... and in the home.
Koori kids targeted with ice
- Heavyweights line up for Eden ice forum
Federal Eden-Monaro MP, Dr Peter Hendy, and representatives from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet were among the audience of Eden’s Ice Forum, adding a palpable weight to the room.
“The fact that the Prime Minister’s department is sending representatives to this forum is an indication of a commitment to policy on a community level,” Katungul CEO, Jon Rogers, acknowledged.
Dr Hendy said the Australian Crime Commission had nominated ice as the number one problem - after alcohol.
“The Far South Coast Command, the Monaro Command, and the NSW police have said it’s a growing epidemic in our region," Dr Hendy said.
"But we can’t police our way out of this.
"Government has to commit more resources towards anti-gang task forces and customs control.”
Dr Hendy said the Eden forum was occurring on the same day that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) was convening in Sydney to specifically discuss ice.
“The Minister of Justice, Michael Keenan MP, and the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Fiona Nash, have been notified of the Eden forum today,” Dr Hendy concluded, “and I will report back to them.”
For more photos and details of the ice forum in Eden click here.