NEWS: Courier Mail - 29/10/2006 'Young males in drugs' grip'

[hoptis]

Young males in drugs' grip
By Renee Viellaris
October 29, 2006 11:00pm

HARD and soft drug users in Queensland are most likely to be unmarried or separated men aged in their 20s, new research reveals.

Disturbing trends exposed in the Crime and Misconduct Commission's illicit drug survey has sparked a call for educational interventions to warn young men of the dangers of drug use.

The data collected from Queensland households between 2002 and 2005, showed men aged between 20 and 29, who had a prior arrest – excluding minor traffic violations – and were unmarried or separated, but not divorced, were characteristically most associated with illicit drug use.

It also revealed a possible graduation from cannabis to hallucinogens to heroin.

"In 2005, the youngest mean age of first use of the different types of illicit drugs was 18.1 years for cannabis, followed by 19.4 years for hallucinogens," the report said.

". . . The mean age of first use was 20 years for heroin, 20.6 years for amphetamines and 22.1 years for ecstasy.

"The oldest mean age was 25.2 years for sleeping pills/tranquillisers for non-medical purposes."

Last year, participants who used cannabis did so about 11 times in one month.

Over the four years, almost 6 per cent of Queenslanders had used amphetamines and about one-fifth of those had at some point injected the drug.

About 1 per cent of Queenslanders had used heroin, about 4 per cent had taken ecstasy, 5 per cent had used hallucinogens and 2.4 per cent had used sleeping pills or tranquillisers.

CMC research and prevention director Sue Johnson said about 30 per cent of the 13,000 respondents had used cannabis but the prevalence rate had decreased slightly from 2002 to 2005 (33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively). Ms Johnson said the data would be used by law enforcement and health agencies.

Although there was an increase in the number of respondents who believed there were health risks associated with monthly or weekly cannabis use, nearly 40 per cent perceived there was no or only a slight health risk.

"However, current research suggests that cannabis may pose a number of health risks to individuals," the report said.

"There is a strong support for link between cannabis and the development and exacerbation of psychosis and other mental health conditions.

"Educational interventions are required to better inform Queenslanders . . . of the health risks associated with illicit drug use."

Courier Mail

 

[Portillo]

OMG, a new panic for the new generation or has marijuana been around for 5000yrs???

 

[beamers]

yes Jesus was a stoner.

 

[ilikeacid]

It also revealed a possible graduation from cannabis to hallucinogens to heroin.

Anyone seen grass? I thought they proved this as statistical bull 30yrs ago.. wow, we're going backwards now.

 

[Slateroz]

lol...what crap. I don't smoke grass or have any inclination to do Heroin.

I like my drugs UP! Not that Meth is a healthy habit...I'm just saying I know noone in my circle who is into smack or is a major stoner.

I guess Crystal freaks and stoners wouldn't have the best conversations

 

[Ashley]

HARD and soft drug users in Queensland are most likely to be unmarried or separated men aged in their 20s, new research reveals.

I hate the way they make this sound like it's a negative thing.

It's reality.

 

[trick_aus]

one day a team of experts will stumble upon a massive discovery and the headline will read "Humans like to get high"

It seems the people who write these stories and do this research are so out of touch with the average person its almost as though the artical is meant to be humorous

 

[ceral killer]

they always seem to forget that alcohol and cigarettes/cigars are also 'drugs' and just because there not illict doesn't mean there not 'gateway drugs'...

personally i did the whole drug graduation thing arseways... besides alcohol..

meth-> crack cocaine-> exstacy-> speed-> weed -> cocaine -> dexies

it all depends on availablilty, what you get for free and a whole bunch of random factors like your personallity etc

 

[GABAlover]

The Courier Mail is always pumping out sensationalist stories such as these. Tabloid trash at it's very worst, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[rtb]

good point about the alcohol and cigarettes ceral_killer. I think out of any drug, alcohol problem causes the most harm and loss of life. For me it is the only drug that I ever feel that I am not in control of my actions.

I also totatlly disagree with the idea that smoking cannabis will lead to heroin use, I think it is about the only drug I would never try, and altho i have used ice, i would never do that again either.

There is one point I agree on tho and that is the link between cannabis use and mental ilness. It is a well known fact that if there is a history of mental ilness in your family, then you should not us cannabis at all. I have personally seen a couple of people close to me become schizophrenic or bipolar, and it is not nice to see a friend become someone who is not firmly planted in reality.

just because its a plant and has been around for thousands of years doesn't mean that it is completely safe, as with all other drugs, they were originally synthesized from organic plant material.
For most of us it is completely harmless, apart from the obvious respiratory and cancer issues, but for a few it can be extremely dangerous.

Take care people...