Tough drug laws helping explosion in ice use, Greens say

TOUGH drug laws have driven the explosion in crystal methamphetamine use, Greens leader Richard di Natale says. One of the nation’s top drug experts agrees. TAKE OUR POLL

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TOUGH drug laws have driven the explosion in crystal methamphetamine use, Greens leader Richard di Natale says.

His view — that legislation has forced dealers to turn to more concentrated drugs that are easier to distribute — is backed by one of the nation’s top drugs experts.

“If you look at total amphetamine use, it hasn’t changed. There’s a shift from lower harm to crystal methamphetamine which produces much greater harms,” Senator di Natale said.

“What you find is that one of the problems with driving drugs underground, you put it in the hands of criminals and when you do that, they make a much more concentrated product that they can move around.

“It makes sense … they want to maximise profits and they want to do that with the least volume.”

Senator di Natale — who used to work as a doctor in a drug and alcohol clinic — is holding a drug law reform roundtable in Adelaide today, in the lead-up to a national summit in Canberra.

He says we need to change the national conversation to focus on harm reduction, and treating drug use as a health and social issue rather than a criminal one.

His views are backed by Australian National University drug researcher David Caldicott, formerly of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

He says prohibition has forced the market to evolve and dealers to turn to more concentrated drugs that are easier to transport.

Police image of part of a 60kg haul of methamphetamine, which being smuggled into Adelaide in January.

He pointed to the shift from bush-grown marijuana to hydroponic varieties; from opium to heroin; from cocaine to crack cocaine.

“It makes financial sense,” he said.

“It’s reflected across all the major drug groups. Because of the legislation to stop these sorts of drugs being moved around, the entire market has become incredibly nimble to outpace legislation.

“It’s an exercise in economics. If you have an illicit product that you need to move in bulk, it makes sense to do it in a purer form to evade detection.”

Dr Caldicott said drug users are using the “dark web”, an encrypted network, and “cryptocurrencies”, such as bitcoin, to avoid detection.

“The market itself has evolved to avoid almost every aspect of detention,” he said.

This year, the United Nations will hold a Special Session of the General Assembly to discuss the global drug problem.

A leaked document being developed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for that meeting said all nations should decriminalise all drug use.

Virgin CEO Richard Branson — who is part of the Global Commission on Drug Policy — said it was a “refreshing shift”. Late last year, Mr Branson called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to decriminalise drugs.

The Government has pledged $300 million to tackle ice through better prevention and treatment strategies.