Ice continues to dominate much of the AOD landscape with community forums, sector workshops and even a parliamentary enquiry looking exclusively at this particular drug and its current role in drug related harms. A recent article from the US paints a less drastic picture of the actual substance methamphetamine.

The strong perception that ice (methamphetamine) use at a community level continues to cause increasing harms is so great that it has led to a Victorian Parliamentary enquiry. Reports from Youth AOD workers are mixed with some workers describing drastic increases in use in their regions  and accompanying harms at individual, family and community level whilst other workers report significant increases in use in the community yet no real changes in the number experiencing problems, significant harm, or coming to treatment.

An interesting article from the US lends weight to the argument that problems related to ice are more to do with current availability and the conditions that foster AOD problems (regardless of the drug) as opposed to a more pharmacological perspective which suggests the power of ice itself and its effects are the cause of problems.Check out the article here and email us with any comments, questions or insights.