HEROIN OR SPEED - NAME YOUR POISON
I was browsing through the 20 September edition of Time with my morning coffee (double strength latte with a shot of hazelnut syrup) when I came upon an article by Lisa Clausen titled Smacking Down. This started by commenting on the recent heroin drought in Australia, and how this was probably due to the diligence of the Australian Federal Police in strangling supply.
Hmm, yes; maybe. But it then went on to comment on the rise in use of amphetamines with the reduced supply of heroin. At first thought, that might be unlikely - heroin is a "downer" and speed is an "upper". But there was a very insightful quote, "It doesn't matter what the effect is, so long as it takes them away from what they were feeling." In other words, some (many?) people use drugs to hide deeper seated and more intractable problems, and it doesn't matter what the effect of the drug is if it hides the hurt for a while.
But the switch from heroin to speed represents a real problem. Being a "downer", a heroin overdose leaves the user comatose, but a speed psychosis leaves a user aggressive and possibly in need of restraint before any help can be given. But, what help? At least with heroin, there is methadone, or perhaps better, bupenorphine with naltrexone for immediate action. So far as I know, there is no pharmacological agent to assist with amphetamine withdrawal.
The other problem with speed is that it can be, usually is, manufactured locally, where heroin is imported. So strong supply side action can put a significant brake on heroin supply. But speed is another story; apart from anything else, it is almost invariably made in Australia - import is unnecessary. Statistics suggest a substantial increase in the clamp down on clandestine laboratories, but that probably means that there are a lot more of them to find. Manufacturing speed is a backyard operation that can be carried out in small areas quite quickly. In addition, however, it is extremely dangerous physically, and it is a wonder that there haven't been more explosions as uncontrolled speed manufacture goes out of control.
The point about this is to wonder whether any reduction in the availability of heroin is really a Pyrrhic victory. If this means that more people are using speed, the cost in supply side operations and overdose treatment could significantly outweigh the equivalent costs for heroin use.
It also suggests that we need to devote a lot more time, effort and resources to demand side reduction and harm minimisation. Education at all levels is essential, otherwise we're just trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. And, moreover, the Augean Stable!
I was browsing through the 20 September edition of Time with my morning coffee (double strength latte with a shot of hazelnut syrup) when I came upon an article by Lisa Clausen titled Smacking Down. This started by commenting on the recent heroin drought in Australia, and how this was probably due to the diligence of the Australian Federal Police in strangling supply.
Hmm, yes; maybe. But it then went on to comment on the rise in use of amphetamines with the reduced supply of heroin. At first thought, that might be unlikely - heroin is a "downer" and speed is an "upper". But there was a very insightful quote, "It doesn't matter what the effect is, so long as it takes them away from what they were feeling." In other words, some (many?) people use drugs to hide deeper seated and more intractable problems, and it doesn't matter what the effect of the drug is if it hides the hurt for a while.
But the switch from heroin to speed represents a real problem. Being a "downer", a heroin overdose leaves the user comatose, but a speed psychosis leaves a user aggressive and possibly in need of restraint before any help can be given. But, what help? At least with heroin, there is methadone, or perhaps better, bupenorphine with naltrexone for immediate action. So far as I know, there is no pharmacological agent to assist with amphetamine withdrawal.
The other problem with speed is that it can be, usually is, manufactured locally, where heroin is imported. So strong supply side action can put a significant brake on heroin supply. But speed is another story; apart from anything else, it is almost invariably made in Australia - import is unnecessary. Statistics suggest a substantial increase in the clamp down on clandestine laboratories, but that probably means that there are a lot more of them to find. Manufacturing speed is a backyard operation that can be carried out in small areas quite quickly. In addition, however, it is extremely dangerous physically, and it is a wonder that there haven't been more explosions as uncontrolled speed manufacture goes out of control.
The point about this is to wonder whether any reduction in the availability of heroin is really a Pyrrhic victory. If this means that more people are using speed, the cost in supply side operations and overdose treatment could significantly outweigh the equivalent costs for heroin use.
It also suggests that we need to devote a lot more time, effort and resources to demand side reduction and harm minimisation. Education at all levels is essential, otherwise we're just trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. And, moreover, the Augean Stable!
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