Party Drugs, The ICE Epidemic

Ice has gone from relative obscurity to a party drug of choice in an extremely short amount of time. Other common nicknames for methamphetamine include "meth", "shabu", "crystal", "tina", "p", "pnp" and "glass". Australia alone has an estimated 102,600 regular users of methamphetamines. According to the University of New South Wale's National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, which
believes about 72,700 or two thirdss of users, are dependent on the drug. The high rate of problems such as dependence and psychotic symptoms are now being observed in chronic long-term users.

Ice is a potent stimulant drug, which speeds up the activity of the central nervous system. Although few deaths have been reported in Australia as a direct result of using ice, it is considered more addictive and is associated with more significant physical, emotional and social harms than other types of amphetamines.

Emergency psychiatric nurse Beaver Hudson, at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, says ice-related presentations to the emergency department first began to concern him 4 years ago. Hallucinations, disorganised behavior and injuries such as fractures have become common place, he says, and in the past year he has seen more and more violently disturbed patients with destructive tendencies. "Those who have been using ice for longer are showing more significant mental
health problems. With methamphetamine, it's all about frequency and duration of use as well as the means of ingestion" Mr. Hudson says.

The difference between ice and other forms of methamphetamine is largely a matter of degree. Ice is often about 80% pure although this can vary significantly, compared to other forms of methamphetamine such as speed or base, which are approximately 10% - 20% pure.

Making matters worse, ice is usually smoked or injected, and the faster absorption combined with the greater purity creates an intense user experience that results in high levels of addiction, which in turn accounts for the elevated
rates of psychosis found among users.

That's because methamphetamine mostly works on the neurotransmitter dopamine, high levels of which can result in strange behaviour patterns and psychosis.

Prolonged use of ice can bring on schizophrenia-like symptoms, including anger, panic, hallucinations, formication (sensation of bugs crawling over the skin) and paranoia, which can result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts. And
studies have shown that heavy use of methamphetamine can permanently damage dopamine neurons and can reduce brain tissue volume.

Ice use brings with it a string of other health and social problems. It affects the kidneys, liver and lungs and can cause strokes and heart attacks. Ice users also have a tendency toward high-risk behaviours, including unsafe sex and intravenous drug use, which runs the risk of contracting blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and C. The drug can also play havoc with users' relationships, jobs and finances.

As the effects of ice wear off, users may experience a range of symptoms such as tension, depression, radical mood swings, uncontrollable violence and exhaustion.