News: The Mercury - 4/10/10 "Pain pills' deadly Tassie toll"

[drug_mentor]

^ 95% of drug users in Tasmania, and earlier it makes reference to the prevalence of oxycodone in IDU so it wouldn't surprise me if it actually means 95% of IDU and not drug users in general.

I have a pretty easy time believing it if they are referring to IDU, but given the amount of people who smoke cannabis only I would find it hard to believe 95% of drug users in general used meth. When you look up the stats on Tassie there really are fuck all drugs available, IDU pretty much stick to amphetamines and prescription opioids (which I assume are generally used by longer term, older drug users with not everybody having access), a small amount of over priced heroin floats around as well but that is about it.

 

[Crankinit]

Whenever I get pissed off at the shitty drug market in SA, I just think about Tassie/Darwin and remind myself that it could be a lot worse.

 

[SeveredPsyche]

There survey found that 95% of tasmanians were using methamphetamine.

That's 95% of drug users surveyed, not 95% of all Tasmanians. People volunteer to take part in the survey and get cash for their time so it isn't necessarily an accurate representation. More a guide for law enforcement and health. (And something for the media to get worked up about.)

The EDRS (Ecstasy & related Drugs Reporting System) and IDRS (Illicit Drugs Reporting System) both cover meth. Meth use would be fairly prevalent with ecstasy users I'd guess, as it is with IDU and poly-drug users in general.

I'm really not sure how many cannabis-only users would bother with the survey, or even if it's their intended demographic.

The reporting in the local rag really is pretty misleading