THE scourge of methylamphetamine or ice appears not to be making the huge inroads in Orange that it is in many parts of regional Australia but police, politicians and drug workers must be ready for it.
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Despite the increase in detection of a range of drugs as a result of police testing of motorists, for now the most damaging drug according to workers in the industry is alcohol.
The aggression-fuelling and addictive nature of ice make it extremely dangerous but the scale of alcohol abuse in our society makes it a much bigger problem, for now.
That is nothing new but there are telltale signs of what is to come. The number of drivers being detected by police driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol is now a faster growing problem than drink-driving. Violence fuelled by ice or a combination of drugs including ice seems to be on the increase and police, paramedics and hospital emergency staff are frequently on the receiving end.
While industry professionals here are not seeing ice spreading through the drug-using population at the accelerated rate cited in an Australian Crime Commission report the lower than reported price of the drug must be a concern. This can only feed accessibility and encourage use.
Candidates for the seat of Orange are alert to the threat ice poses but to their credit have avoided a law and order auction.
Instead the major party candidates are focusing on maintaining and increasing the authorised strength of police commands and resourcing new ways of dealing with drug threats, including the creation of drug courts, and improving rehabilitation and other support services.
Frontline drug workers will be hoping that the next government of NSW does not lose sight of the fact that while ice is a volatile drug and a rising threat, the drug most Australians are familiar with, alcohol, remains our biggest social problem.