Mr KIELY - 2007-02-20
Can you inform the House of additional measures the Martin Labor government is taking to tackle the issue of crystal methamphetamine, otherwise known as ice?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, ice is an Australia-wide problem. It is growing in other states, and we do not want to see it grow within the Northern Territory. There was an Australian National Council on Drugs report and survey that estimated about half a million Australians used methylamphetamines in the last year. It is important to point out that methylamphetamines are a sub-category of amphetamines and ice is part of that sub-category, along with other drugs.
In relation to the Northern Territory, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, which was published in 2004, estimated that approximately 3.9% of Territorians over the age of 14 who were sampled by the survey had used either amphetamines or methylamphetamines in the past 12 months. It is also important to point out that the Northern Territory police are doing a magnificent job investigating and bringing those to book who are involved in amphetamines. They have advised that, since 2004, they have busted 38 clandestine labs and there have been 300 seizures of amphetamine drugs.
On the specific issue of crystal methamphetamine, which is a very pure form of amphetamine, it is about 80% pure compared with about 20% of other amphetamine products, it is a very dangerous drug. Apart from the euphoric effects, it may also result in chest pains, paranoid delusions, aggression, depression and bizarre behaviour. It is highly addictive and extremely dangerous.
I attended a national summit on this in Sydney towards the end of 2006, which all jurisdictions attended, to try to address the growing issue of ice within our communities. This particular ministerial council focused on issues related to enforcement, education, treatment and prevention. We all agreed that the most successful way to address ice was a collaborative approach. There is much going on at the national level in terms of clandestine laboratories and stopping precursors from reaching those laboratories, and also intelligence-led policing to bust those syndicates which are manufacturing and distributing these drugs.
The issue of ice pipes was also raised, by the Commonwealth in particular. I am advised that most of these ice pipes are imported from overseas. The Commonwealth secretary, Christopher Pyne, suggested that states and territories ban ice pipes. It was put back to him that, since most of these ice pipes are imported, that the Commonwealth should ban the importation of ice pipes. I have written to Christopher Pyne on this issue, urging him to have a national ban on the importation of ice pipes. I have also pointed out that the Northern Territory will be moving along the line of complementary legislation in terms of that national ban so it will be complementing existing bans elsewhere.
In relation to our penalties and sanctions regime for illicit drugs, particularly ice, it is amongst the toughest in Australia. I will not go into detail here, but they are amongst the toughest in Australia. Nonetheless, I have written to the Attorney-General suggesting that we have a review on those penalties and the Attorney-General has agreed.
At a national level, methylamphetamine (ice) is listed as a Schedule 2 drug, and that is a consensual position of states and territories in the Commonwealth. There is a certain level of sanctions and penalties that apply to those Schedule 2 drugs. I will be writing to my state and territory counterparts, as well as the Commonwealth government, to look at putting methylamphetamine or ice into the Schedule 1, along with heroin, cocaine and lysergic acid, because I believe it is every bit as dangerous as those drugs.
Madam Speaker, we are a government that is tough on drugs. We have brought in a whole range of laws, criminal forfeiture, drug houses, special drug courts, anti-gang laws, all aimed at being tough on drugs and reducing the drug scourge within the Northern Territory. We will be continuing that work, and I undertake to continue to report that work to the House.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, ice is an Australia-wide problem. It is growing in other states, and we do not want to see it grow within the Northern Territory. There was an Australian National Council on Drugs report and survey that estimated about half a million Australians used methylamphetamines in the last year. It is important to point out that methylamphetamines are a sub-category of amphetamines and ice is part of that sub-category, along with other drugs.
In relation to the Northern Territory, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, which was published in 2004, estimated that approximately 3.9% of Territorians over the age of 14 who were sampled by the survey had used either amphetamines or methylamphetamines in the past 12 months. It is also important to point out that the Northern Territory police are doing a magnificent job investigating and bringing those to book who are involved in amphetamines. They have advised that, since 2004, they have busted 38 clandestine labs and there have been 300 seizures of amphetamine drugs.
On the specific issue of crystal methamphetamine, which is a very pure form of amphetamine, it is about 80% pure compared with about 20% of other amphetamine products, it is a very dangerous drug. Apart from the euphoric effects, it may also result in chest pains, paranoid delusions, aggression, depression and bizarre behaviour. It is highly addictive and extremely dangerous.
I attended a national summit on this in Sydney towards the end of 2006, which all jurisdictions attended, to try to address the growing issue of ice within our communities. This particular ministerial council focused on issues related to enforcement, education, treatment and prevention. We all agreed that the most successful way to address ice was a collaborative approach. There is much going on at the national level in terms of clandestine laboratories and stopping precursors from reaching those laboratories, and also intelligence-led policing to bust those syndicates which are manufacturing and distributing these drugs.
The issue of ice pipes was also raised, by the Commonwealth in particular. I am advised that most of these ice pipes are imported from overseas. The Commonwealth secretary, Christopher Pyne, suggested that states and territories ban ice pipes. It was put back to him that, since most of these ice pipes are imported, that the Commonwealth should ban the importation of ice pipes. I have written to Christopher Pyne on this issue, urging him to have a national ban on the importation of ice pipes. I have also pointed out that the Northern Territory will be moving along the line of complementary legislation in terms of that national ban so it will be complementing existing bans elsewhere.
In relation to our penalties and sanctions regime for illicit drugs, particularly ice, it is amongst the toughest in Australia. I will not go into detail here, but they are amongst the toughest in Australia. Nonetheless, I have written to the Attorney-General suggesting that we have a review on those penalties and the Attorney-General has agreed.
At a national level, methylamphetamine (ice) is listed as a Schedule 2 drug, and that is a consensual position of states and territories in the Commonwealth. There is a certain level of sanctions and penalties that apply to those Schedule 2 drugs. I will be writing to my state and territory counterparts, as well as the Commonwealth government, to look at putting methylamphetamine or ice into the Schedule 1, along with heroin, cocaine and lysergic acid, because I believe it is every bit as dangerous as those drugs.
Madam Speaker, we are a government that is tough on drugs. We have brought in a whole range of laws, criminal forfeiture, drug houses, special drug courts, anti-gang laws, all aimed at being tough on drugs and reducing the drug scourge within the Northern Territory. We will be continuing that work, and I undertake to continue to report that work to the House.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016