NORTHERN TERRITORY ADDICTS LEAD WAY WITH MORPHINE USE

Territory drug addicts have the biggest morphine habit in Australia - and
there is a thriving black market in prescription drugs in Darwin.

This was claimed yesterday by a Territory Health Services (THS) specialist.

Alcohol & Other Drugs program director Dr Ian Crundall said with just 1 per
cent of the Australian population, Territorians accounted for nearly 4 per
cent of naitonal morphine use.

His comments follow a number of raids by addicts on Darwin pharmacies to
steal morphine.

Dr Crundall said he believed a lof the morphine was finding its way to
Darwin's black market.

He said "Consumption of morphine in the Territory makes up 3.8 per cent of
Australian consumption.

"Prescription drugs abuse and amphetamine use is on the increase.

"Intravenous drug use is escalating.

"Based on the number of syringes dispensed by the NT AIDS Council it
increased between 1995 and 1997 by 120 per cent.

"And in the first eight months of 1998 needle exchange figures were the same
as in the whole of 1997."

Dr Crundall said many drugs being stolen were ingredients for amphetamines
such as speed.

He said: "Amphetamines are addictive and the user needs more and more to get
the same effects.

"It can lead to psychosis, paranoia, worsen mental illness, depression, or
loss of sex drive."

Dr Crundall said the high use of morphine was worrying the NT medical
authorities.

He said "More morphine is being prescribed in the Territory per head of
population that anywhere else."

He believed addicts were probably using morphine as a substitute for
methadone which was hard to get hold of in the NT.

Territorians consumed 11 per cent of the national sales of one brand of
morphine - MS Contin 100mg.

Dr Crundall said "It is the prefered illicit drug in the Territory.

"Police say they find many doctors scripts for it when they do drug raids.

"A lot of it is being redirected into the black market."

Dr Crundall said the situation was now so serious THS had set up a
"voluntary" agreement system for doctors, pharmacists and patients, to
record when a person gets the drug.