AMPHETAMINES POPULAR IN WA

AMPHETAMINES are making a big comeback among WA drug users, research shows.

The trend is towards the potent crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice
or shabu.

The Commonwealth-funded research on illicit drug use was coordinated by the
National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University.

Institute research fellow Simon Lenton said the purity of crystal
methamphetamine appeared to be on the increase, from 12 per cent purity in
1999 to 23 per cent this year in WA.

WA users were paying the most per gram, between $200 to $300, but the
purity was higher than in other States except Queensland, according to
research.

Mr Lenton said treatment services and police should gear up to handle the
increased prevalence, availability and purity of crystal methamphetamine.

A WA Police Service spokesman was not available for comment.

Mr Lenton said widespread use had adverse effects, including paranoia,
anxiety and depression.

He said there were several reasons different types of drugs went in and out
of vogue, including market supply and user trends.

The research showed heroin continued to be widely available in WA and was
used by a broad cross-section of the community. People were using heroin at
a younger age.

The research was done by surveying 100 injecting drug users, interviewing
drug treatment workers and analysing data such as police and overdose
statistics.

Mr Lenton said 71 per cent of the users surveyed were men, with the average
28 years old.

He said 65 per cent were unemployed. They had completed an average of 10
1/2,* years schooling.

Mr Lenton said the research had not been funded to look at the use of the
party drug ecstasy.

The increasing prevalence of amphetamine use in WA is apparent in other
research involving prisoners.

Detainees in the East Perth lockup were surveyed as part of national
research being done into links between crime and drug use.

Patterns of Drug Use Amongst Police Detainees: 1999-2000 showed 14 per cent
of detainees in East Perth tested positive for amphetamine use in 1999.

That level increased to 38 per cent three months later.

National Drug Research Institute deputy director Wendy Loxley, who was one
of the report authors, said the drug use patterns of detainees reflected
what was happening on the street.