News

Assault against ICE - drugs forum

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:42:00

Alcohol and other drugs workers are planning a community drugs forum later this month amid worries about the emergence of methamphetamines, or Ice, in the Mildura area.

The session comes after concerns by police and welfare agencies that the use of Ice is reaching epidemic proportions locally, particularly among young people.
The forum will provide parents and carers with a chance to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of Ice use, its effects and how they can get help.
Mildura Aboriginal Corporation and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation are facilitating the session, but the Nurse Manager of the Alcohol and other Drugs Program at MAC Raelene Stephens said it was important to understand the problem was not confined to the indigenous community.
“We are organising this forum because we are concerned at what we are seeing at our organisation, but our colleagues at other organisations are also very concerned about the reach that Ice is having,” Ms Stephens said.
“It’s not just an indigenous problem – it’s an issue affecting the entire community, but we are taking a proactive approach and stance.
“It is ripping our community apart, and we need to raise awareness and get the message out – parents and carers are worried, but they don’t know how or where to get help,” she said.
“We want to provide an opportunity for parents and carers to get reliable information so they can begin to talk to their kids about this drug, and hopefully be proactive about helping them avoid involvement with it.
“As with a lot of parenting issues, the key is open channels of communication, but often the problem is parents just don’t feel well-informed enough to initiate discussions with their children.”
Police have previously raised concern that crystal meth use is behind an increase in the number of drug-driven burglaries in the Mildura region.
“There is concern about the pressures that users are being put under by dealers, and that in some cases they’re being compelled to commit crimes in exchange for a hit – as drug counsellors we are hearing those stories,” Ms Stephens said.
“We are also seeing their very real physical impacts– these are hard drugs and they are dangerous, but it’s disturbing how common they are, and how they are continuing to go under the radar for parents.
“We know they can have dramatic effects on brain function and memory loss, as well as depression and psychosis.
“Paranoia and hallucinations are also not uncommon side-effects, and users can become aggressive and violent.
“These are scary things to be hearing about, particularly from a parent’s or carer’s point of view, but they are happening, and we need parents and carers to be informed.”
The gathering will include guest speakers from Odyssey House and Victoria Police, and hear a former user’s story about her experiences and rehabilitation.  Service providers and counsellors will be available during the day.
The forum will also be the first step to forming recommendations about how the community can address this and other drug use challenges.
The Ice Forum will be held at the Mildura Aboriginal Corporation Hall on Tuesday February 19, 2013.  It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch.  Please RSVP to 5018 4102 for catering purposes.