CHANGE IN DRUGS SETS CHALLENGE

POLICE are seizing record amounts of amphetamines, which are overtaking
heroin as the hard drug of choice for West Australians.

Dexamphetamine seizures increased 247 per cent between 1998 and 2002,
amphetamines 130 per cent and methylamphetamine 490 per cent.

Heroin seizures fell 79 per cent over the same period.

The figures are contained in a new report, Indicators of Drug Use: Regional
and State Profiles, compiled by the Health Department's Drug and Alcohol
Office.

The report brings together data from several areas for the first time to
give an overview of drug use.

Regional areas lead the State in drug-related offences.

Kalgoorlie residents are the worst offenders with 157.3 people per 10,000
charged with drug offences.

The Northam and Kimberley police districts also outstrip the State average
of 86.6 charges per 10,000 population, with 128.7 and 117.3 respectively.

The metropolitan area registers the lowest rate of drug charges, with 77
charges per 10,000 people.

Offences include trafficking and possession of prohibitied drugs, plants of
implements.

University of WA criminologist David Indermaur said the results countered
the steretype that drugs were an inner-city issue and showed there was a
need for further investigation into the reasons behind the high number of
regional offences.

One factor would be the higher proportion of young men in certain areas.

Young men were known to commit drug offences at a higher rate than any
other sector of the population.

Dr Indermaur also warned that WA had to develop responses to drug crime
that were unique to the State's growing addiction to amphetamines.

Traditionally, WA's responses to drug use and crime were in part shaped by
what happened in the Eastern States, where heroin still held sway. But the
strong trend to amphetamine use in WA had to be taken into account, he said.

"Sometimes our responses to crime are driven through policies and
understandings that come from places which have a different kind of drug
problem than we have in WA," Dr Indermaur said.

"We seem to have a particular problem with amphetamines and we need to make
sure that what we do in terms of drug crime reflects that and acknowledges
that particular complexion of our drug crime problem."