QUEENSLAND DRUG FIGURES MISLEADING, SAYS ACADEMIC

Backyard drug labs, rather than large-scale organised crime, are
responsible for a spike in drug arrests in Queensland, an academic
says.

University of Queensland senior researcher Greg Fowler conceded the
Sunshine State had the highest number of illegal amphetamine
laboratories and drug-related arrests in the country.

But Mr Fowler said the figures were misleading.

"The reason that the number of clandestine labs is higher in
Queensland is because there's lots and lots of small operations, mum
and dad operations, just making a cupful at a time," Mr Fowler said.

"In other states they don't have as many labs but they have much, much
larger labs and the output is substantially different.

"It distorts your view. You'd think it's a big problem in Queensland
but that's not necessarily the case based upon the data."

At an anti-drug conference on the Gold Coast this week, Police
Minister Judy Spence admitted Queensland had a "serious" drug problem
and that State Government-backed events such as Indy and schoolies
attracted drug dealers.

Mr Fowler said Queensland's drug-related arrests were higher than
other states because first-time offenders caught with cannabis in
Queensland were required to attend a mandatory education session.

"Those particular conversion offenders are being lumped together with
drug traffickers, so the figures don't necessarily mean that
Queensland has a bigger problem than anywhere else."

A federally-funded study shows about 1.2 million Australians aged 14
and over had tried ecstasy, which has become the nation's second most
popular illegal drug after marijuana.

According to the latest available statistics, more than 550,000 people
used ecstasy in 2004.

"They see the use of this drug to be in the context of a range of
social activities, not just raves or nightclubs," Mr Fowler said.

"They believe they will experience positive effects in terms of
stimulation, enhanced empathy, some perceptual distortions."

But there are risks involved, including depression and damage to brain
function, although Mr Fowler said the so-called "party drug" affected
people in different ways.

"There have been cases where some people have had a real adverse
effect and that's led them to an emergency ward but that's the risk,"
he said.

"You don't know what's in the tablet and even if you did, you don't
know how you're going to respond as an individual.

"It's certainly not a safe drug."

The study found the proportion of Australians who have tried ecstasy
had more than doubled from 3.1 per cent in 1993 to 7.5 per cent in
2004.