ICE WAR 'A DISASTER'

A drugs expert has labelled the Bracks Government's plan to tackle
ice and amphetamine use among Victorians as a knee-jerk reaction to
the media's treatment of the subject.

Bill Stronach, chief executive of the Australian Drug Foundation,
said he was disappointed about revelations that the Premier, Steve
Bracks, plans to divert $14 million from current heroin programs to
bolster efforts to tackle growing amphetamine use.

Mr Bracks and new Mental Health Minister, Lisa Neville, will this
morning launch a new offensive against amphetamines, including police
programs to target ice dealers, funding for aggressive treatment
programs and a study on the impact of parents' amphetamine use on children.

The Government's plan to tackle amphetamine use includes a
"confronting" advertising campaign detailing the side-effects of ice
use. A taskforce will also be established to develop long-term
strategies to tackle amphetamine use.

In a press release, Mr Bracks said new laws would also target
amphetamine makers and dealers.

The Premier said a new law that came into effect yesterday banned the
possession of a pill press without lawful cause, with offenders
facing a penalty of up to five years' imprisonment or a fine of about $60,000.

Mr Stronach said while more people were using ice, which he described
as a high-risk drug, there was not an epidemic that justified the
diversion of funds from heroin treatment.

"I'm ambivalent. We have to keep the ice issue in perspective and
recognise that it's not an epidemic," Mr Stronach told theage.com.au.

"It causes some serious problems, so on one hand I'm glad the
Government is addressing it and looking particularly at ways we can
best treat people who have got real problems with it. But on the
other hand I'm very concerned because they're talking about taking
$14 million away from heroin treatment programs and I think that's a disaster."

Heroin deaths have fallen from 186 in 2001-02 to 43 in the past
financial year, while deaths from amphetamines have risen from 32 to
39 over the same period.

Mr Stronach said while heroin use had decreased, there were about
12,000 Victorians on methadone to treat heroin.

"(Heroin use) has dropped because we've put money into services and
if you don't maintain those services the problems are likely to
re-emerge," he said.

"We just can't afford to move money from one area - rob Peter to pay
Paul. If they could find new money to treat ice that would be even better.

"Ice has been around for a while, amphetamines have been around for a
long while, but we have seen a bit of an increase in ice use and it's
certainly captured the popular and the media attention," he said.

"Two years ago we were (obsessed) with ecstasy use. Before that it
was heroin. I think this emphasis on ice right now is short-sighted
because in a couple of years' time it will be some new drug."