Page 1428 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
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Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Lucinda Nolan has said an explosion in the number of people using the highly addictive drug ice has had a big impact on crime rates in recent years.
It is important to note that ice is easily produced in clandestine labs which range from crude, makeshift operations using simple processes to highly sophisticated operations using technically advanced facilities and equipment. Manufacturing in clandestine labs has resulted in explosions which have severely damaged properties and resulted in serious injuries and deaths. These labs are often located in residential areas, therefore posing a significant threat to the community from the corrosive and hazardous chemicals used, plus the toxic gases produced, which are extremely dangerous and pose severe health risks.
Meth labs can be portable and easily dismantled, stored and moved. The ease of moving labs makes it easier to evade detection. Meth labs are found in all types of localities, such as homes, apartments, garages, back sheds, hotel rooms, rented storage spaces, cars, vans, trucks and boats. Children of meth addicts may be neglected and are often found living in dangerous and unsanitary conditions. These children face the risk of injury and abuse, given the addict’s tendency towards paranoia, aggression and violence. Children whose parents operate meth labs are often subject to even greater risk due to the contamination, the potential for fire or explosions and, in some cases, the presence of weapons.
Ice addiction often involves repeated and prolonged use over days or weeks in phases of binges, physical and psychological difficulties, resulting in feelings of aggression with tendencies towards violence, paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations. In many cases, the user may become belligerent, delusional and highly dangerous. The problem with ice as well is that it poses risks to front-line law enforcement and healthcare officers as well as the family and friends of drug users or manufacturers. Ice users are often more likely to demonstrate violent behaviours, including assaults, sexual assaults and so on.
We know that front-line staff, including police and health staff, are regularly confronted by out of control ice addicts. These incidents have placed significant demands on our healthcare system, which treats both users and victims of aggressive and violent behaviour. Former Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton has said the violent behaviour often associated with ice use also leads to increases in family violence, road trauma and other violent crime.
If that is not bad enough, according to the Ted Noffs Foundation, children as young as 13 in Canberra are among the growing number of people abusing ice. The foundation also stated two years ago that the presentation of ice doubled for young people, and last year it doubled again. Former Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton has also said it is clear an entire generation of rural youth is at risk, threatening future prosperity in those communities. We do not want that happening here in the ACT. He also revealed that bikie gangs and overseas criminal syndicates are taking advantage of the highly addictive aspect of ice to actively hook thousands of young Victorians. He said that one in five ice users arrested by police committed a violent crime.
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