As police admit to losing battle, Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak calls for ice ingestion rooms
ICE ingestion rooms, where users could smoke or inject the drug without fear of prosecution, are being spruiked among a range of ways to fix South Australia’s meth epidemic.
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ICE ingestion rooms, where users could smoke or inject the drug without fear of prosecution, are being spruiked among a range of ways to fix South Australia’s meth epidemic.
As State Government officials tour the state for a series of Ice Taskforce roundtables, people at the frontline of the Australia’s ice epidemic have told the Sunday Mail the police-based “war on drugs” approach is failing.
Instead, they say a greater focus on health services, funding for treatment programs and “safe use” information is the key to beating the ice scourge that has gripped many parts of SA.
Hip hop and graffiti workshops, drug testing labs for users to find out the purity of their drugs, and crisis intervention rooms are among other ideas.
Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak, who opened the first heroin injecting room in Australia in Sydney’s King Cross, said the SA Government should “absolutely” consider an ice inhalation room where users could go to smoke or inject the drug.
“The sorts of people that go to these rooms are a subset of drug users, the ‘super consumers’, that drive the epidemic,” he said.
“They will also be the recruiters.”
Dr Wodak said once users were in safe spaces, discussions about tackling their addiction could take place.
He toured Europe last year looking at ice ingestion rooms with Matt Noffs, the co-founder of Street University, a program which conducts hip hop courses, graffiti workshops and breakdancing classes to engage with drug-taking youth.
Mr Noffs is keen to see similar programs established in South Australia.
“It is very successful because it does not look like a treatment service,” he said.
“In a short space of time you can help young people (get) away from ice, and change communities and find healthier options for their young people, thereby reducing crime.”
South Australian Network of Drug and Alcohol Services executive director Michael White agrees with the Street University model but does not support an ice ingestion room.
“The dynamics of South Australia are very different to other states where they have areas of concentrated use,” Mr White said.
He said a crisis intervention centre should be considered.
“It may be associated with a hospital or medical clinic, but (it would be) a drug and alcohol service that could look after a person on a voluntary basis.
“It is a short stay crisis unit that has calm lights.”
Mr White said the sights and sounds of a modern emergency room can create violent reactions.
SA also needs a place for users to test the purity of drugs, and more public information about safe drug use, he said.
Mental health and substance abuse minister Leesa Vlahos said the Ice Taskforce will look at a number of health initiatives, including expanding treatment and harm reduction strategies.