Prevalence of amphetamine possession and/or use in the NSW Northern Rivers region

On 7 May 2019 The Sydney Morning Herald reported that:

Amphetamine possession in NSW has risen by 250 per cent over the past decade….

The alarming statistics, which also showed possession in some parts of the state had skyrocketed by up to 1000 per cent, were presented on Tuesday at the special commission of inquiry into the drug ice commissioned by Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

The following statistics indicate the prevelance of amphetamine use and possession in the NSW Northern Rivers region in 2020.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR):

NSW RECORDED CRIME STATISTICS APRIL 2019-MARCH 2020

Tweed LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 150.9

Byron Bay LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 147.5

Clarence Valley LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 135.

Lismore City LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 120.9

Richmond Valley LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 111.1

Ballina LGA:

Possession &/o use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 79.6

Kyogle LGA:

Possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population – 45.1

The two year trend and annual percentage change for all seven Northern Rivers local government areas appears to be stable.

By way of general comparison, Coffs Harbour LGA on the mid-North Coast had a possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population of 177.7, Port Macquarie-Hastings LGA a rate of 132.3, Newcastle LGA 127.4, Sydney LGA 363.8 (up 25.4% on two year trend & annual percentage change) and New South Wales 103.1 (up 12.8% on two year trend & annual percentage change). 

After the COVID-19 global pandenic was declared on 11 March 2020 the six week period after social distancing was imposed (15 March – 26 April, 2020) saw overall drug possession fall by 4% in New South Wales.

Note:

Rate per 100,000 head of population does not necessarily represent a high number of incidents. For example, in 2019 the Clarence Valley possession &/or use of amphetamines rate per 100,000 head of population was 147.2 based on a total of 76 recorded incidents.

So you want to drug test welfare recipients, Mr. Porter?

According to the Australian Minister for Social Services and Liberal MP for Pearce since 2013, Christian Porter; “A person who is unemployed is, based on good data, 2.4 times more likely to have addictive issues with drugs and alcohol — obviously there’s both cause and effect in there.”

While Department of Social Services (Payments Policy) Cath Halbert told a Senate estimates hearing that; "Out of 5,000 recipients who will be randomly selected for drug testing, based on available data and Department of Human Services data is that up to 425 recipients are expected to test positive to the initial test…..Around 120 recipients are estimated to test positive to a subsequent test and be referred for assessment for treatment."

A handy little DSS fact sheet informs us that drug testing at three trial sites will run for two years and that; The tests will detect use of drugs including ecstasy, marijuana and methamphetamines, including ice. However, the minister and his department remain silent as to the cost of this program.

                                                                                                                                                

We-ell…… I just don’t find any of these statements a convincing argument for drug testing a select number of Centrelink recipients on unemployment benefits commencing 1 January 2018, in the hope that just 8.48 per cent of them will initially test positive.

After all the workforce generally seems likely to have the same addictive issues and no-one is talking of drug testing them before distributing wages.

For example:

In 2013, just over 40% of Australians either smoked daily, drank alcohol in ways that put them at risk of harm or used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months; 3.1% engaged in all 3 of these behaviours. [National Drug Strategy Household Survey Detailed Report 2013]

Over 48,000 Australians were on a course of pharmacotherapy treatment for their opioid dependence on a snapshot day in June 2015.

[Opioid pharmacotherapy clients 2015]

Wastewater analysis conducted in the latter half of 2016 shows that alcohol and tobacco consumption was the highest of all substances tested in all states and territories.

[National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program Report 1, March 2017]

Declines were seen in recent use of some illegal drugs in 2016 including meth/amphetamines (from 2.1% to 1.4%), hallucinogens (1.3% to 1.0%), and synthetic cannabinoids (1.2% to 0.3%).

About 1 in 20 Australians had misused pharmaceuticals in 2016 (4.8%).

[National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2016]

While the number of politicians over the years who have allegedly been drunk in charge of a parliamentary vote is notable – everyone from prime ministers and cabinet ministers right down to lowly backbenches if a recent Google search is a reliable indicator.

GlaxoSmithKine pleads guilty to criminal charges of fraudulent promotion of its drugs - pays US Government US$3 billion settlement

The Lancet 7 July 2012:

On July 2, UK-based GlaxoSmithKine (GSK) agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges of fraudulent promotion of its drugs and pay the US Government a settlement of US$3 billion. If accepted, this will be the largest fine imposed on a drug company, surpassing the $2·3 billion paid by Pfizer for inappropriate marketing in 2009. The amount adds to GSK's $750 million settlement in 2010 over manufacturing quality.

What is particularly egregious about GSK's fraud is the calculated deceit and potential human cost of its aggressive and misleading marketing. For instance, while evidence was emerging that showed an increased suicide risk in adolescents prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression, GSK was actively encouraging off-label prescription of paroxetine to individuals younger than 18 years. This was not an isolated incident; off-label use was also encouraged for bupropion. For rosiglitazone, safety data were withheld from the US Food and Drug Administration and altered, potentially delaying restrictions on the drug's use and putting people to whom it was prescribed at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. The company is also accused of cheating Medicare. Such behaviour is not only illegal, it is immoral.

As Machiavelli observed, “he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived”. Sadly, in the case of GSK, this has involved doctors who were all too ready to be beguiled by illegal kickbacks and lavish hospitality…

And mainstream media wonders why it is shown so little respect......

The Oceania region traditionally consists of Australia, Fiji, Kirbati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and a number of territories and dependencies of these countries. It is a physically wide and culturally diverse group.

On 7 January 2012 The Lancet magazine published a study* by Prof Louisa Degenhardt PhD and Prof Wayne Hall PhD  (Volume 379, Issue 9810, pp55 – 70) which estimated cannabis use across Oceania in 2009 as between 9.3%-14.8% of 14 to 64 year olds in the total combined populations.

The study noted a number of countries in which cannabis use had stabilised or decreased and Australia was mentioned in this context.

Professor Degenhardt’s university issued a media release which covered the global prevalence of the use of illicit drugs. Professor Wayne Hall in an interview with 3AW Radio pointed out that Australia and New Zealand has similar cannabis use levels and, in fact, levels had been in Australia falling for a number of years. Hall also pointed out that alcohol abuse was a very real issue in this country.

One print journalist actually stated a truth:

The study leader, Louisa Degenhardt, of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and the University of NSW, said Australia and New Zealand's similarity in drug use patterns pushed Oceania figures so high.

''There are some countries with similar use to Australia, but combined with other countries in their region their average decreases,''

So we have research which apparently shows Australian and New Zealand societies as not alone in their relatively high cannabis use and, that in the case of Australia at least this use has been declining over a number of years.

What headlines did the Australian mainstream media run with – the fact that we are one country among many with high use levels or that we are using less cannabis than before?

No, these are the headlines Australia woke up to on 6 December 2012:

High society - Australia tops list of drug users

Australians biggest users of marijuana and speed

AUSTRALIANS are world-class dopes

Australians biggest cannabis users in world: report

While New Zealand’s press managed a rousing:

NZ's world-high drug use no surprise - Experts

* Full transcript of Extent of illicit drug use and dependence, and their contribution to the global burden of disease  (sign-in required)

Elite private school sources funds from drug dealer

Being Sunday and the broadsheets not publishing today it's only reasonable that NCV does a bit of tabloid-like blogging.

Cranbrook, an Anglican independent non-selective day and boarding school for boys, located at 5 Victoria Road Bellevue Hill, has found itself in the picture for accepting cash from a drug dealer as payment for school fees.

Today's Sun Herald reports:

Even cocaine traffickers have to pay their kids' school fees. But the Maroubra drug dealer Wayne Cleveland miscalculated when he turned up at Cranbrook on March 12, 2008, with $40,000 in cash.

According to a police statement tendered in the District Court, the school, apparently alarmed at the sight of so much money, declined to accept the full amount owing, taking just $15,000. To add insult to injury, it told Cleveland it might have to report the transaction to authorities because it was more than $10,000.

Somewhat panicked, Cleveland turned to his friend and prominent eastern suburbs real estate agent Glenn Farah, the then chief executive officer of NG Farah, a family business founded almost 50 years ago.

Read more here.