Meth addicts sent packing

Patients go interstate for treatment

TASMANIAN ice addicts are being sent to the mainland for treatment because there are not enough detoxification beds in this state.

Tasmanian Labor Senator Lisa Singh, who was deputy chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement which tabled its final report into crystal methamphetamine this week, said the evidence given should serve as a wake-up call to state and federal governments.

Tasmanian drug and alcohol treatment service Holyoake told the inquiry it was having to send people interstate for treatment because there were insufficient detoxification beds available in this state. It also told the inquiry that court-mandated treatment did not usually work and that ice use was rife in Tasmania’s hospitality industry where late nights and long shifts were the norm.

“They were using speed but they cannot get speed now so they are using ice,” the inquiry heard.

Each year there are 32,000 requests for Australia’s 1500 residential rehabilitation beds and waiting times have blown out to up to six months in some cases.

The situation is particularly stretched on Tasmania’s North-West Coast where access to addiction and mental health services were described as “minimal”.

“The small window of opportunity when a drug user is seeking support and treatment must be capitalised upon,” the report said.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said the State Government recognised the impact ice had on local communities.

“We are committed to doing everything possible to rid Tasmania of this insidious drug,’’ Mr Ferguson said.

“That is why we will deliver the extra resources needed to disrupt and break the ice trade, with two specialist ice investigators to be assigned to every regional drug squad in Tasmania to provide a specific focus on ice-related drug activity.

“During the election we committed $6 million of new funding for 30 additional drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds over the next three years,”

Senator Singh said evidence given at the inquiry had shown a serious lack of rehabilitation accommodation in Tasmania.

“Tasmanians should not be forced to the mainland to seek treatment,” she said.

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Council of Tasmania expressed concern that calls for enhanced treatment and policing have been made based on anecdotal reports.

It said there had been a lack of rigorous research conducted in Tasmania’s regions.