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NEWS: News.com.au - 17/5/07 'Politicians told ice may not lead to crime'

lil angel15

lil angel15

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Politicians told ice may not lead to crime
By Joe Hildebrand
May 17, 2007 02:00am

A NSW Parliamentary report has stunned police by suggesting the deadly methamphetamine ice might not actually cause violence and crime.

This comes despite officers experiencing the problem first-hand every day and a former addict telling the Daily Telegraph he became a standover man to feed his habit.

The Parliamentary Library briefing paper, which was published at the end of last year, is intended to be used by MPs as a source of accurate and impartial information in parliamentary debate and policy development.

"The accuracy of the community's perception of crystal methamphetamine use is debatable," the paper, prepared by researcher Talina Drabsch, says.

"Some underestimate or are completely unaware of the dangers, while others believe that all users become hostile and aggressive when high and that a person is addicted from the moment the drug is sampled ...

"Another concern is the nature of the link between violent behaviour and crystal methamphetamine use, as well as its possible connection to the increase in particular crime rates such as assault and armed robbery.

"However, whether crystal methamphetamine use has a causal role is uncertain, as there are many other factors that contribute to a person's criminal involvement and/or violent behaviour."

Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said he knew from his own officers' experience that ice was fuelling crime.

"When you speak to detectives after an armed robbery and bust and say what happened to all the cash, it's been smoked, snorted or shot up the arm," he said.

Mr Moroney pointed to other research by the National Drug and Research Centre at UNSW that showed almost one third of ice users had been to prison and half had committed a crime in the past month.
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News.com.au
 
Mr Moroney pointed to other research by the National Drug and Research Centre at UNSW that showed almost one third of ice users had been to prison and half had committed a crime in the past month.
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Jeez, what kind of sample group was used for this study? If crime is to mean breaking the law, then I guess most regular meth users would be guilty. If it's to mean breaking the law in other ways then I'm quite surprised. Perhaps for such a study to be valid, some form of control study would be necessary. Figures such as these tend to completely go against what many of us would normally see or experience, particularly in regards to infrequent users.

I would like to know if the sample group was a fair representation of users across Australian society i.e. how broad a demographic, particularly in regards to location, age and income.
 
others believe that all users become hostile and aggressive when high and that a person is addicted from the moment the drug is sampled
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Sounds suspiciously like the one-hit addiction myth surrounding heroin which studies of course debunked. Still, they need something to sell their tabloids.
 
erm...are you guys kidding?

Meth usage more than just about any other drug except pcp is likely to result in bizarre violent behaviour...whilst it is obviously the sleep deprivation is the main cause of the amphetamine psychosis but that level of sleep deprivation is obviously not possible without meth so whether directly or indirectly, the meth causes some pretty irrational and violent behavour.

Furthermore, its obviously involved with acquisitive crime...its extremely expensive and extremely addictive....thats all the factors you need right there.

Obviously things are drastically overstated in the media more often than not, but if you dont find it staggering that you dont see links between methampetamine and violent behaviour or crime
 
I'm not saying there isn't some link, I'm just saying I find it hard to believe it is that high. I've known many meth, speed etc users over the past 20+ years and other than drug use per se, very few of them have become criminals that weren't already doing illegal stufff.
 
IIRC the questions are just have you commited this sort of crime and that sort of crime in the last month.

Not Are you under the influence at the time.
 
Mr Moroney pointed to other research by the National Drug and Research Centre at UNSW that showed almost one third of ice users had been to prison and half had committed a crime in the past month.
Click to expand...

I think this is what phase_dancer was getting at - isn't using an illegal drug counted as committing a crime? All this statistic means is that half of the people using ice have used it, or anyone other illegal drug in the last month... Either that, or they have driven without a seatbelt, smoked a cigarette within 6 metres of a building, driven the wrong way done a one way street...

Semantics :p
 
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