Who uses it?

• Use is not associated with any particular age group. Amphetamines attract people seeking an energy boost or who want to stay alert over an extended period of time.

• Some common names for amphetamines include speed, ice, crystal, meth and crank.

• Heavy use of amphetamines can result in dependence, ill health, depression, psychosis, episodes of violence or aggression and social problems (1).

Current trends (2)

• Price: Price of amphetamines fluctuates according to place of purchase and type of amphetamine. Generally the price for 1 gram of speed ranges between $80-$ 100. The price of ice or crystal is generally about $50 for a'point' (roughly a tenth of a gram).

• Availability: Recent years have seen the emergence of new types of amphetamines becoming available in NSW and most other states. In addition to amphetamine sulphate (speed), methylamphetamine (meth), crystalline methylamphetamine hydrochloride (ice) and methylamphetamine base are increasingly being used by recreational and dependent drug users.

• Purity: Generally amphetamines seized in Australia are of low purity, however the purity of street level methylamphetamine base can be considerably higher.

Statistics (3)

• Use of amphetamines among the general population is high compared to other illicit powder drugs. About 4% of the general population in NSW had used it in the last six months (1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey).

• The injection of amphetamines in NSW is low (7%) compared with other states such as Queensland (46%).

• Since 1995196 the number of intoxicated drivers who tested positive for amphetamines doubled to just over 20% in 1998/99.

Treatment

Services can be accessed by ringing..

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 24hr hotline
Tel: (02) 9361 8000
Toll free: 1800 422 599

The Drug and Alcohol Services of the local Area Health Service, non-government organisations and General Practitioners provide counselling and treatment services for amphetamine users.

What is NSW Health doing?

• A 'one-stop-shop' Service Delivery Model for young people in rural areas has been developed.The focus is on providing youth-friendly spaces, targeting information, recreation activities and access to services such as counselling and referral.

• The management of amphetamine withdrawal is to be added to the NSW Detoxification Clinical Practice Guidelines.

• Funding of $2 15,000 per year for three years has been provided for telephone counselling, referral and support to Kids Help Line.

• Information resources have been provided as part of the Young Offenders Act Cautioning Scheme to ensure young people receive appropriate information when being cautioned by police.

• Polydrug Peer Education resources designed for dissemination at social settings such as nightclubs, have been developed and distributed to clinicians and the community.

• A Speed Fact Sheet has been developed for clinicians and the community. It is available on www.ceida.net.au

1 Source: Ceida Factsheet

2 Source: Australian Illicit Drug Report 19 99-2 000, Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, Commonwealth of Australia 2001

3 Source: NSW Drug trends 1999: Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS), NDARC Technical Report No. 86, NDARC 2000.