Crystal Meth in Melbourne: Australia’s Most Populous City and Drug Crisis

Crystal Meth in Melbourne: Australia’s Most Populous City and Drug Crisis

Methamphetamine (commonly referred to as ‘Ice’) poses a severe drug threat throughout Victoria, with Melbourne being its cultural and population centre. The state has historically reported intense meth use levels, with the crisis reaching what police and health officials have previously described as ‘pandemic proportions’ in the recent past. Wastewater monitoring has shown that consumption levels in capital cities like Melbourne have been increasing, underscoring the severity of the challenge. Melbourne’s status as a major port and hub makes it a primary distribution centre for TCOs seeking to profit from the national high-demand illicit drug market.

Regional Usage and Sourcing

• National Context:
Australia’s wastewater monitoring consistently reports some of the highest methamphetamine consumption per capita globally. Victoria is consistently identified as a high-use state for ice.
• Consumption Trends:
Methamphetamine consumption levels in capital cities, including Melbourne, have recently hit a record high, indicating a resurgent epidemic.
• Sourcing and Trafficking:
Methamphetamine is imported via sea cargo and international mail, primarily originating from China, Hong Kong, and increasingly, Canada. Organised crime syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, actively exploit the Victorian market.
• Forms:
Crystal methamphetamine (‘Ice’) is the dominant form of the drug, valued for its high purity and potency.

Severe Health and Social Consequences

The use of high-purity crystal meth is strongly associated with severe chronic and acute health problems, impacting individuals, families, and communities, and incurring significant societal costs.

Physical Effects

• Cardiovascular Damage:
Methamphetamine is a potent vasoconstrictor, leading to acute effects like stroke, heart attack, hypertensive crises, and chronic conditions like cardiomyopathy (heart failure). Deaths involving psychostimulants have risen four-fold in Australia since 2000.
• Systemic Toxicity:
High doses risk fatal or non-fatal overdose (‘overamping’), severe seizures, and dangerous overheating (hyperthermia).
• Dental and Infections:
Users frequently suffer from severe weight loss, poor nutrition, and debilitating dental problems (“meth mouth”). Injecting meth significantly increases the risk of blood-borne viruses like Hepatitis C and HIV, as well as severe skin and heart infections (endocarditis).

Psychological Effects

• Psychosis and Paranoia:
Long-term use causes severe functional and structural changes in the brain’s dopamine system, leading to impaired verbal learning and memory. Users frequently experience severe psychological distress and methamphetamine-induced psychosis, characterized by severe paranoid delusions and visual or auditory hallucinations. This psychosis can lead to aggression and major safety issues.
• Cognitive Impairment:
Users may suffer from reduced motor speed and significant deficits in memory, attention, and verbal learning.
• Chronic Distress:
Many dependent users experience high levels of anxiety, confusion, insomnia, and mood disturbances.

Social and Community Impact

• Criminal Justice Burden:
The criminal justice system accounts for the largest single cost domain of methamphetamine in Australia. Use is associated with acquisitive and violent offending, increasing the strain on police and courts.
• Societal Costs:
The drug incurs massive costs in healthcare (hospital admissions, treatment for blood-borne diseases), lost productivity (absenteeism), and child maltreatment.
• Treatment Access:
Methamphetamine accounts for over 80% of amphetamine treatment episodes in Australian AOD services. Stigma and discrimination are significant barriers to users seeking help.

Legality and Penalties in Australia (Victoria)

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule 8 controlled drug in Australia. The legal framework includes the state-based Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) and federal law for importation.

• Possession Penalties (Use/Simple):
The maximum penalty for simple possession is a fine up to 30 penalty units (PU) or one year’s imprisonment.
• Trafficking/Commercial Quantity (State):
Trafficking a Commercial Quantity (100g pure or 500g mixed) carries a maximum of 25 years’ imprisonment. Trafficking a Large Commercial Quantity (750g pure or 1kg mixed) carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 PU.
• Federal Importation:
Importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine (a border controlled drug) carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.