The " Ice " Pandemic !

The news that the daughter of a former state premier is in a prison cell charged with an alleged murder illustrates how the menace of the drug known as " Ice " moves across all levels of society.  Obtaining supply involves contact between user and supplier and this is fraught with danger.   Big money is involved and the crime fraternity jealously guard their ability to get a share of the profits.

Ice is a drug which falls into the category of a Methamphetamine and it is a " cheap " drug that delivers the biggest " bang for a buck ".  The price of a " hit " on the streets of Sydney is usually about fifty dollars, but in dealer's parlance the " wholesale " price ranges from $ 400 to $ 800 a gram.   It is also the most addictive of the range of drugs offered in Australia's crack dens.

Ice use is now pandemic in Sydney.  A " high " used to involve alcohol but in today's world the herd instinct is attracted to the use of synthetic drugs and peer pressure to at least give it a try is overwhelming. The " social user " is soon hooked - and high doses or frequent use quickly leads to " Ice psychosis ".   The user is mentally out of control, leading to family strife, poor job performance - and often descent  into crime to financially support this new " habit " !

This is not a drug like Heroin which is totally imported.  It is often produced locally by " cooking " fairly easily obtained ingredients in thinly disguised " drug kitchens ", which are often located in suburban housing or even high rise flats.  A small error can lead to an explosion and subsequent fire, but the rewards from a successful batch are huge.

We are fast losing this drug war.   Police and sniffer drug dogs patrol many social events but if the public are determined they will find ways to evade detection - and only a fraction of the drugs being supplied result in an arrest - and few actual " users " serve a prison term.   The main impetus is directed at the manufacturers and the supply chain - and the profits involved make arrest an acceptable risk to the criminals involved.

Sadly, each individuals reaction to " Ice " can vary widely.  Some are able to maintain a casual balance between it's use on social occasions without becoming addicted, whilst others may find their first use sends them spinning out of control.   To the consternation of health professionals, the availability of Ice seems ever widening.

This is a war we will never win, and this drug will continue to ruin the lives of those whose biological balance dooms them to chronic addiction - and the degradation that entails.   That seems to be the price of a ticket in life's lottery - when we first consider an experience offered !