To the Editor: In the 21 November 2011 issue of the Journal, Sara and colleagues identified 97 000 Australians as heavy stimulant users,1 and McKetin and Lubman detailed the public health importance of heavy stimulant consumption, emphasising impacts of “ice”(crystal methamphetamine).2 In addition, there has been growing concern over rising ice use in Australia and related harms, including psychosis, stroke and cardiac abnormalities.2 In Victoria, there is evidence of significant increases in ice use among people who inject drugs (from 36% in 2010 to 53% in 2011)3 and regular “ecstasy” (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine; MDMA) users (from 18% in 2010 to 38% in 2011).4 To examine this issue, we conducted an exploratory study using multiple indicators of amphetamine-related harm from July 2010 to June 2012.
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- 1. Sara GE, Burgess PM, Harris MG, et al. Stimulant use and stimulant use disorders in Australia: findings from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 607-609. <MJA full text>
- 2. McKetin R, Lubman DI. Heavy stimulant use remains a significant health concern for Australia [editorial]. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 565-566. <MJA full text>
- 3. Kirwan A, Dietze P, Lloyd B. Victorian drug trends 2011: findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). Australian Drug Trends Series No. 76. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2012.
- 4. Nguyen P, Dietze P, Lloyd B. Victorian trends in ecstasy and related drug markets 2011: findings from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS). Australian Drug Trends Series No. 85. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2012.
- 5. Lloyd B, McElwee PR. Trends over time in characteristics of pharmaceutical drug-related ambulance attendances in Melbourne. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011; 30: 271-280.
We thank Ambulance Victoria and its paramedics for entering data and Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre staff for coding cases for the Ambo Project. This project is funded by the Victorian Department of Health.
Dan Lubman has received speaker fees from AstraZeneca and Janssen, and travel support from Lundbeck.