WEST SCORES WORST ON ILLICIT DRUG USE

WESTERN Australia is the nation's illicit drug centre, especially for
people under 30, according to a national report on drug use. A greater
percentage of 20- to 29-year-olds in the state has experimented with heroin
and ecstasy than elsewhere in the nation. And Western Australia rates
second for experimentation with marijuana and amphetamines.

It also has the highest rate of recent use of heroin, ecstasy and
amphetamines over the past year for people under 30. For heroin, the state
records a usage rate double that of the rest of the nation.

The 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, investigated the drug habits of more than
10,000 people.

While it also confirms worrying trends in the Northern Territory, drug
experts say the West Australian figures are the most puzzling.

National Drug Research Institute deputy director Wendy Loxley said Western
Australia had no history of being worse than any other state.

She said the survey directly contradicted results of a study she was
undertaking of the drug habits of detainees. Her study pointed to high
amphetamines use in Western Australia, but lower heroin use than in
Queensland and NSW.

"When a survey turns up results like this, you have to wonder whether the
sample size was comprehensive enough to produce a reliable result,"
Professor Loxley said.

But West Australian Drug Abuse Strategy Office executive director Terry
Murphy said the results were not surprising and that they confirmed a trend
the Government had detected a few years ago.

"It is a small state that is very vigorous and very affluent which has
encouraged high levels of alcohol use that have now fed into drug habits,"
Mr Murphy said.

"The WA Government has recognised the problem and has doubled its drugs
expenditure since 1996-97."