Ice catastrophe looms without strategy

I REFER to MP Billy Gordon’s request that the State Government introduce tough measures to mitigate the penetration of ice in Aboriginal communities ( C-M, Sep 1) and wholeheartedly support his sentiments.

But I would go further and say that it is a looming catastrophe across the entire population.

Granted, it will far more easily grab a major foothold in smaller populations, such as the indigenous communities, and perhaps the additional measures could first be implemented there to prevent the social erosion.

However, we can no longer pretend the ice epidemic will fizzle out.

Those of us in the nightclub industry appear to be the low-hanging fruit when it comes to apportioning blame for anti-social behaviour. Yet ours is enormously regulated and fully transparent.

We, too, deal with the dastardly evil that is ice. But, while “alcohol-fuelled violence” is the buzz word of the day, the “too-hard basket” is growing ever fatter because not enough is being done to tackle the ice epidemic. This drug knows no bounds. It affects and destroys the rich and the poor, black and white, young and old.

It’s time to find a way to bring these evil peddlers into line. I hope Gordon makes enough noise to kick the wheels into gear and the strategies that come from it are implemented statewide or nationwide. If Queensland is the “nation’s ice capital” it’s a claim to fame we don’t need. Sarosh Mehta, chairman, Nightclubs Queensland, Petrie Terrace