Crystal Meth in Wollongong: Major Regional Stimulant Market

Crystal Meth in Wollongong: Major Regional Stimulant Market

Methamphetamine (commonly referred to as ‘Ice’) poses a severe drug threat. Wollongong is a major regional urban area south of Sydney and is subject to high levels of ice use, characteristic of New South Wales and regional Australia. Drug consumption is often higher per head of population in regional areas compared to capital cities. The city is a key node in the regional distribution of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS), sitting on a major coastal route from Sydney’s larger market.

Regional Usage and Sourcing

• National Context:
Australia’s methamphetamine consumption per capita is among the highest globally. New South Wales is consistently identified as a high-use state for ice.
• Regional Consumption:
Regional areas frequently show higher per capita use rates of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), and hospitalisations for meth-related problems are high in outer-regional areas.
• Sourcing and Trafficking:
Methamphetamine is imported via sea cargo and mail, primarily originating from China, Hong Kong, and increasingly, Canada. Organised crime utilizes regional areas for trafficking to avoid major metropolitan police presence.
• Forms:
Crystal methamphetamine (‘Ice’) is the dominant form, especially among regular users.

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, often featuring paranoid delusions and aggression.
• 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 (New South Wales)

Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule 8 controlled drug in Australia. The legal framework includes the state-based Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW) and the federal Commonwealth Criminal Code for importation.

• Possession Penalties (State):
Simple possession carries a maximum penalty of a fine up to 20 penalty units (PU) and/or 2 years imprisonment.
• Supply/Trafficking Penalties (State):
Supplying a prohibited drug has a maximum penalty of a fine up to 2000 PU and/or 15 years imprisonment. Supplying on an ongoing basis carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.
• Federal Importation:
Importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine (a border controlled drug) carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment