News - Addicts Switch to Factory Drugs - 17th Oct

Addicts switch to factory drugs

17oct04
AMPHETAMINE production in Asia's Golden Triangle is set to overtake heroin as the greatest drug threat to Australia, Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty has warned.

Mr Keelty said massive quantities of amphetamines were being produced in the region and were destined for the Australian market.

He said up to three tonnes of pseudoephedrine – a plant-based chemical used to make amphetamines – had been seized by offshore AFP officers this year.

"In Burma now, the production of amphetamines is just huge and the number of amphetamine addicts in places like Thailand has just tripled," Mr Keelty said.

In June this year, AFP officers and their Fijian counterparts seized 1.5 tonnes of pseudoephedrine from a chemical factory.

The haul had the potential to produce up to 1000kg of crystal methamphetamine, better known as "ice".

"And in March this year we seized, with the Philippine authorities, 1.3 tonnes of pseudoephedrine coming out of China, so that's a lot of amphetamines coming to Australia," Mr Keelty said.

"Clearly that's indicating drug-use habits have changed and we can't rely on the heroin shortage or the breaking of heroin supplies as a success."

A recent United Nations report said Australia was the only country in the world to record a heroin shortage since the start of the millennium.

Supply of the drug started to dry up in 2000, thanks to increased border patrols and seizures by Australian police and customs.

Mr Keelty said that as a result the annual number of national heroin overdoses of people aged 16-34 had dropped by two-thirds, from about 1100 in 2000 to just 324 last year.

But drug syndicates are now steering away from labor-intensive heroin production in favour of amphetamines, which are cheaper and quicker to make.

Mr Keelty said the ephedrine plant grew wild in China, sparking a growth in drug factories in the Golden Triangle on both the Chinese and Burmese sides of the border.

"(With heroin) you have to grow the crop, harvest it, get the raw material and process it into the different grades of heroin," he said.

"The whole process in terms of yield is very expensive to the suppliers even though it's an enormous profit they make.

"Amphetamine doesn't have those processes and, in fact, cuts out about three or four stages, so return on investment, if you put it in commercial terms, is much greater. That's why it's actually being driven by organised crime making a commercial choice about reducing their viabilities and increasing their profit."
Sunday Times

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I think the appeal of methamphetamines has been obvious for some time now

Just shows really that you can try and stop the supply of one drug, but all it will do is cause another to open up.

stace.

From some of those comments, I think Mick might be on the verge of waving the white flag

While there's little doubt the popularity of heroin has waned in certain quarters, it would certainly be interesting to see stats (if such existed) on former heroin users who stopped using the drug, and what their reasons were for doing so. For some users, perhaps E or speed changed their views and preferences forever, but I doubt very much these alternatives would quench the H desire completely.

When E first came to this area in in the late eighties, heroin users I then knew who tried it mostly rated it as being a far cry from the heroin experience. So I wonder just how many of those who prefer the feel of opiates would willingly exchange that for E or speed; that is, IF their drug of CHOICE was once again available.

Ephedra is a very important medicinal plant in Chinese medicine. It's used in many preparations, and many claims are made about it's healing powers. In western medicine, besides the usual decongestant properties, ephedra's chief constituents - ephedrine and pseudo - are also employed as cancer treatment drugs in combination with other preparations to relieve arterial spasms, neurotoxic reactions after radiation therapy, and chemotherapy side effects. Very recently, a paper published in the Journal of Natural Compounds, indicates a number of ephedrine and pseudo derivatives possess anti-tumer activity. Considering the natural source of these drugs is being increasingly depended upon, and also the vast areas of Asia where ephedra grows wild, it seems very unlikely we'll see that source diminish, regardless of local or US law enforcement efforts.

Unlike other nations that are easily pressured, a western power doesn't simply go to Chinese authorities and tell them they want a tradition stopped. Personally, I can't foresee a day when China will be more dependant on the west than we are on them - except perhaps for some raw materials. Now where's my tiger penis, leopard musk, rhino horn and bear gallbladder health tonic. STILL available at many Traditional Chinese medicine outlets across Australia 8)

Back on topic - well sort of. Heroin is JUST AS SYNTHETIC as methamphetamine, perhaps more so when considering the chemistry likely used to make each. And it's usually also made in a "factory".

While other processes exist involving less common chemicals, heroin is often made by first extracting/ purifying the alkaloids - predominately morphine and a bit of codeine - before the di-acetyl derivative is synthesized. It's doubtful much naturally sourced codeine would be converted to morphine, but as with morphine-->heroin, both processes normally use toxic and nasty chemicals. So in a sense, the pulling off of a OH molecule on ephedrine to make meth is no more synthetic - arguably less - than the illegal or clandestine manufacture of heroin.

It's a messy world indeed

it might also show that a lot of people are more aware of heroin and it's bad side effects.
hense people going for safer drugs.
(i know alot of people who wouldn't try heroin ever, although they have done an insane amount of different drugs)

that of course is just an assumption.

I wouldn't call Amphetamine in any way a safer drug than Heroin.

Amphetamine has more potential for addiction then heroin. However its side effects, such as paranoia and anxiety lend it to not be used over a longer period of time. Heroin users can, if they can have a functional life alongside their habit, take heroin most of their life.