Does Oz have a hard drug problem?

A friend of mine in melb is always telling me about junkies that try and rob his place, steal his stuff or beg for cash. I have also heard that od-ing is the second most common form of premature death amongst young people. Is it as bad as it sounds, and what could be done to help them????
*a kiwi*

i think most people will agree with me that the greatest drug problem in australia regards the widespread heroin use, and it's quite a problem. any fool can travel to the city and score heroin in less than literally 10 minutes. it doesn't take much intelligence to notice that the well known asian video game parlours don't thrive off the business of customers playing the games.
as to how they can be helped -- that's the question everybodies asking. heroin usage was hush-hush until the problem escalted into sand pits and beaches and cinemas and trains (yes, that is generalising)
heroin injecting rooms have been proposed as a possible alternative to attempt to counter the problem, but our powerful body of convservatists who can never come close to understanding will have no part in it, yet they offer no reasonable suggestions as to how to reduce the problem. i say fark, give it a go, and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. what more have we got to lose? if in doubt, go talk to a junkie and see what else they have to lose.
buckE
[This message has been edited by BuckE (edited 05 August 2000).]

yes there is heaps... what i find most worrying is a conversation i had with a friend recently.... my friend, a recreational user of heroin for many a year, has seriously been considering giving it away.... the reason? all of his friends, who have until recently also been recreational users, are all now addicted...and by addicted i mean having to use it everyday.. not the every two to four weeks like they used to...
why are they addicted? simplistically all i can say is it's because there is so much good heroin around.. it used to be that it was a struggle to get good heroin.. you'd get goos stuff infrequently and it was always too much of a hassle to track it down .. now stuff that is 60% pure grows on trees.. it's just too easy to get now...
this has made me rethink a lot of what i have thought about heroin... i'm not sure what to think to tell the truth... it's just sad... as i know a lot of these people and it's sad to have to say goodbye... i mean they are still all alive but now they are addicts... it's not just a difference of semantics, you somehow lose someone after they start doing it everyday...
i fear that e is getting that way too... that it is just too easy to get... abuse and addcition that way lies...
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"i think i'll stick to drugs to get me thru the long, dark night of late-capitalism..."
Irvine Welsh

But JB as you know, E isnt really a drug that is physically addictive and what benefit would you get from taking it everyday... none really. What benefit do you get from taking H every day for that matter though . I think as far as drugs go imo e is far easier to control than H.

Melbourne has easily one of the worst heroin problems on the planet. It's sad but true.

Australia also has big E, speed, caffeine, chocolate, computer, beer and obessity problems.
I see a connection here. Our culture and attitude is quite obsessive compulsive. Humans like habits, just don't pick the wrong one!

JB, you're goddamn right -- the quality of H in Australia is top notch. did anybody see the interview with Mr. E from the Eels on the Panel on wednesday? the usual fart jokes kinda comedy that the panel dishes out had to take a leave whilst Mr. E joked about Heroin. He was actually quite funny although the panel crew didn't know what to do so they just laughed it away and tried to change the topic. Mr. E was asked what he thought of Australia: "The weather is great and the heroin is fantastic." "You seem like a really chilled out guy," Kate said. "Well, that's the heroin."

The tabloid paper the Herald Sun keeps a counter of Heroin deaths Vs Car deaths. They are not too far apart - and just think how much money goes to Transport Accident Commision.
(God I hate the Herald Sun, it pains me to say something positive about it.)

Actually, that's one thing that I haven't noticed at all here in the states. I don't deny they have a heroin problem here too but you don't hear about it as much as the anti-drug propaganda aimed at 12 year old kids. I have a feeling it's just pushed completely underground. We're so lucky to have such a comparably forward thinking government.
Oh hang on....
---Hello everyone down in Australia...this is Scott. I live in North Carolina and have met miss apple and I just think she is the coolest. I am definitely going to be getting dowm Under within the next year smd I hope to meet some of you---My best friend in the world was from Sydney/Padstow Heights and he hassed passed on, but I am definitely coming down becase I made a promise to Damien (my friend who died) that I would get down to see OZ!!!!
take it easy and I will be in touch---signing up for Bluelight be a
He didn't finish!
He wants me to put plur....little does he realise my stance on saying the word plur....I'm afraid this situation does not even come close to a time when I would say plur.

Heeheee.. lmao@missapple you hussy you.