NEWS: The Age Push to turn young off ice

[hoptis]

Just a point, but does anyone apart from the media/general public actually call it 'ice'?

It depends on who I'm talking to but I would use it if I thought it would help them understand what I'm talking about. I've met quite a few drug users that use the term, thanks to the media it is more recognisable these days than "meth" or "crystal".

 

[Crankinit]

I'll call it ice if I'm talking to someone who isn't involved in the drug scene. Easier than having to explain what 'gear' is.

 

[Soma24]

It reminds me of old BBS days where people would make magazines that worked only on computers (amiga, atari, PC mostly) and include a variety of information other than the hacking and game cracking and visual/audio demo scene, hardware and computer related stuff.. Some of the articles would be how to make homemade Cocaine. It would tell u you only need an oven, some brand of nasal spray, baking soda and vodka. Then cook it all on a baking tray, wait till it dehydrates properly and scratch it off and snort away...

heh, reminds me of Robert Downey Jrs character making coke from hardware store products in A Scanner Darkly

 

[infectedmushroom]

I think the answer is to have a tweaker big brother, where there's a bunch of ice freaks (voluntarily) locked up in a big compound with an unlimited supply of meth and they have to battle eachother to be the most popular or be voted off by the audience. The winner gets a lifetime supply of crystal and the losers get kicked out onto the street.

After watching them all go crazy and murder eachother, no young Aussie's will want to touch the devil's drug, plus the gov't or corporations could benefit from advertising, and it'd only cost like 200 grand or so altogether to produce. It's a very effective solution economically and capitalistically.

Don't forget to fill the house with sharp kitchen knifes, garden tools, chainsaws and guns - maybe some SAW type instruments of death to make it interesting...

 

[Chronik Fatigue]

From today's (7/11/07) letters in The Age:

'Dirty' strategy won't cut any ice

THE State Government's anti-drug campaign (The Age, 5/11) is dangerous and ill-considered. It brands ice (crystal methamphetamine) as a "dirty drug". This does nothing to inform people about its effects and will increase fear in the community. Branding users as "dirty" will make them feel worthless and depressed, and discourage them from seeking advice and treatment. There is the real possibility that the ads — launched in a hip city bar and displayed in edgy laneway settings — will entice young people to take an interest in the drug.

The Government is aware of these impacts. Its amphetamines-type stimulants taskforce, chaired by Health Minister Lisa Neville, produced a strategy discussion paper which notes the importance of "factual and credible" messages based on "sound evidence". It draws attention to the low effectiveness of "scare tactics". It also notes the need to avoid creating the false impression of an "ice epidemic", and the negative impact of messages "on individuals and services". Why has the minister ignored her taskforce?

Peta Malins, PhD researcher on drug use issues, Melbourne University, Parkville

 

[ayjay]

The "cultural memory" idea is interesting, and probably has some validity. There are probably other significant factors too - I remember the "Speed Kills" billboards from the early-mid 90s with the syringes poking out of the shotgun breech. You'd have to wonder if the end of that particular cycle wasn't also to do with the influx of cheap, good heroin. Certainly the start of the current speed cycle was influenced by the reduction in heroin supply late 2000, and the subsequent importation of higher purity forms of methamphetamine.

Certainly the indicators are that this speed cycle is probably winding up - so perfect timing for a big spending government response

 

[GABAlover]

"The ingredient base of this drug is battery acid and drain cleaner," state Mental Health Minister Lisa Neville said yesterday at the beer garden of central Melbourne's grungy St Gerome bar.

If someone has a good meth recipe for battery acid and drain cleaner, please PM me ASAP. 8)

 

[Tronica]

The Government is aware of these impacts. Its amphetamines-type stimulants taskforce, chaired by Health Minister Lisa Neville, produced a strategy discussion paper which notes the importance of "factual and credible" messages based on "sound evidence". It draws attention to the low effectiveness of "scare tactics". It also notes the need to avoid creating the false impression of an "ice epidemic", and the negative impact of messages "on individuals and services". Why has the minister ignored her taskforce?

I second this comment. All the research I've read says that messages need to be factual and truthful.

The answer to the question of why the minister and other governments choose to ignore this advice is that they aren't running these campaigns to actually have any positive effect on drug use or drug users, rather the campaigns are political devices designed to click in with wider community (non-drug user) attitudes, and to give the impression of action.

8)

 

[taita]

The answer to the question of why the minister and other governments choose to ignore this advice is that they aren't running these campaigns to actually have any positive effect on drug use or drug users, rather the campaigns are political devices designed to click in with wider community (non-drug user) attitudes, and to give the impression of action.

8)

Why does this seem to always happen before an election.. 8)

 

[Tronica]

These ads were outside my workplace:

The one statement I agree with here is the 1st one: "smoking ice doesn't make it less addictive". The others are a bit wrong... 8)

 

[Splatt]

well alot of colvents can be used, but they're pushing it, the main ingredident listed in those ingredients sure can be used for making drugs, but theyre filled with stuff that isn't used for drug production. It's just like saying GHB is a paint thinner plus draino, which in reality it is. GBL is a solvent (much stronger than acohol), and draino contains NaOH (which can be bought at places other than sell toilet duck cleaner in pure solid form), which are the main infgredients to make proper GHB.

 

[cam.i.am]

well i guess its kinda true>>>>>>
Battery acid = Sulfuric acid (sort of)
Paint thinner (guess they referring to toluene)
drain cleaner = NaOH
although there not really ingredients just solvents and heaps of others are used.

Rock is a DIRTY DRUG and im all for the vic government trying to raise awareness of that.
Something does need to be done, i just dont think this is the right way, can't see it achieving much.
But i dunno any better way so good on em i guess.

 

[johnnyonelove]

meh. dirty? its subjective. personally, i love meth/ice/whatever. i don't find it dirty. its just the latest hype substance and hype campaign.

 

[decontructionist]

I second this comment. All the research I've read says that messages need to be factual and truthful.

It also needs to elicit some, though not too much anxiety. The effectiveness of of message being processed works on an inverted U curve where x is the level of anxiety invoked and y is the depth of informational processing

Why does this seem to always happen before an election.. 8)

Well, I think I am preaching to the converted to say that this is no more than political propaganda that is about inciting fear to win votes rather than preventing harm. I would suggest that the reason for attempting to incite the fear prior to an election pertains to the research that shows that eliciting fear is a useful mechanism for creating support for conservative governments (think about what has happened since 9/11 worldwide with regard to the positions of elected governments). Since we didn’t have any planes flying into buildings nor any conveniently placed asylum seekers to use as a fear stimulus, I think that the government attempted to use drugs and the internet as their white rabbit this year. Sorry, but I am just a bit cynical that I got sent a brochure on the scourge of the internet, and then a week later about the problems associated with drugs, just weeks before an election was called.

 

[ndrjames]

All they're really doing is promoting rock

 

[tryfound]

The messages in the ads don't reflect (IMO) how young people really see meth in day to day life. I have some friends who have used it for 5-10 years and still held together a functional life that doesn't necessarily include depression, paranoia, panic attacks and aggression.

As for the few friends I have seen lose track, they never became aggressive; rather the opposite in fact, they become more timid and withdrawn as they don't have confidence without the drug.

 

[decontructionist]

The messages in the ads don't reflect (IMO) how young people really see meth in day to day life. I have some friends who have used it for 5-10 years and still held together a functional life that doesn't necessarily include depression, paranoia, panic attacks and aggression.

The problem with only providing a one sided message in the way that this new campaign does is that when kids see that what they've been told doesn't necessarily reflect reality then they say to themselves, "Well if this was bullshit, then everything else that they've told me is probably bullshit too", and disregard all the information that they have been provided with.

 

[BingoBango]

they become more timid and withdrawn as they don't have confidence without the drug.

not confident = depressed? or is there some sort of legitimate medium somewhere in there?

 

[hoptis]

Paramedics blame ice for resources drain
Friday Jan 4 14:34 AEDT

The drug ice, or methamphetamine, caused havoc in the past year, endangering the lives of thousands of young Victorians and placing a strain on emergency services' resources.

Ambulance paramedics treated more than 500 amphetamine-related cases in 2007, with 14 users hospitalised last month alone.

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service revealed the figures on Friday at the launch of the state government's latest anti-drug campaign.

"Cases involving ice are complex and often involve police due to the fact the contents of those drugs makes people clinically and mentally unwell and often violent," paramedic and state government amphetamine task force member Alan Eade said.

"Ice is the purest form of the drug and the effects are usually stronger and more pronounced than with other forms of amphetamines.

"You get psychosis and mental health issues followed by some agitation and violence so it's not a nice thing to be using."

There is some hope the warnings about ice are working though, with the rate of use in Victoria below the national average and remaining stable rather than growing, Mr Eade said.

Mental Health Minister Lisa Neville launched a large billboard in St Kilda on Friday detailing that fertiliser is one of the dangerous ingredients in ice.

The billboard carrying the message "Ice: It's a dirty drug" is accompanied by a "creepy weed" sculpture produced by artist Corey Thomas, that he will expand over time to represent the effects of drug abuse and addiction.

"Over the next two months the creepy weed will continue to grow and expand out, highlighting to young people that fertiliser is a key ingredient in this drug and is extremely dangerous," Ms Neville said.

"We don't want young people to take up this drug.

"We also encourage the organisers of festivals to work closely with police and ambulance services to ensure appropriate protection for those attending festivals and we'll also distribute information."

The government is targeting 15 to 25-year-olds through its $600,000 campaign and anyone with drug issues can ring 1800 888 236 for help or go to www.druginfo.adf.org.au.

Ninemsn News

 

[hoptis]

Further to the above, here's a video report on the new billboard. Anyone recognise where that billboard has gone up? Looks like the corner of Grey and Barkly street.

Video
Ice 'weed' stalks St Kilda
2008-01-05 02:00:32
Melbourne partygoers hit with a new warning about taking Ice this summer. (01:39)