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National Leadership Forum on Ice – Compendium of Jurisdictional Achievements (2)

   

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National

National research comprises work of national research centres such as the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC). The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has funded a conjoint psychostimulant position at NDARC to undertake research in a number of areas including methamphetamine. The research undertaken by NDARC includes establishing a multi-site methamphetamine cohort study to examine, among other things, factors predictive of abstinence, psychiatric morbidity, criminal involvement and contact with the health and criminal justice system.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund (NDLERF) promotes quality evidence-based practice in drug law enforcement to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of licit and illicit drug use in Australian society. NDLERF aims to facilitate the research, evaluation and review of drug law enforcement as it relates to licit and illicit drug markets; assess the impact that the policies and practices of the law enforcement sector and other stakeholders have on each other and on law enforcement and drug harm reduction outcomes; and enhance the role of law enforcement personnel in the research, development, piloting and evaluation of innovative licit and illicit drug law enforcement practices including community based approaches.

NDLERF is comprised of representatives from law enforcement agencies from all States and Territories, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and a health agency from one of the States or Territories (currently Northern Territory).

The Australian Government funds the Illicit Drug Reporting System, which is a national survey of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis markets in Australia. Coordinated by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, the survey is intended to serve as a strategic warning system, identifying emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets.

On a triennial basis, the Australian Government funds the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS). This report provides findings and analysis on the prevalence of drug use, drug-related behaviours and incidents, and support for drug-related policy and legislation.

The Australian Secondary Schools Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey is the largest and most reliable national source of prevalence and drug-related behaviour information about the use of alcohol, tobacco and over-the-counter and illicit substances among young people.

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New Zealand

Methamphetamine Action Plan - In 2003, New Zealand developed an action plan for methamphetamine which identified current and proposed actions to address the growing problem of methamphetamine in New Zealand based on the three pillars of the National Drug Policy: demand reduction, supply control, and problem limitation.

National Drug Policy Discretionary Grant Fund - The National Drug Policy Discretionary Grant Fund (NDPDGF), established in 2004, provides government ministers involved with drug policy with access to a pool of funding for new initiatives or projects that fill gaps in drug policy work. The NDPDGF funds:

• High-quality cross-departmental projects that support the advancement of the National Drug Policy
• Projects that fill a gap which would otherwise remain unfilled due to not meeting a particular agency’s funding criteria
• Projects that allow for forward planning and fast response by government agencies to changes in current and emerging drug trends.

NZ ADAM - New Zealand Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NZ-ADAM) is a program, equivalent to the Australian DUMA program, which seeks to measure drug and alcohol use among people who have recently been apprehended by police. It enables the monitoring of drug trends in New Zealand and to assess the impact of illicit drug use on different types of criminal behaviour.

IDMS - The Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS) is comparable to the Australian IDRS and provides timely information on trends in illicit drug use and related harm. The expanded knowledge creates a stronger platform for agencies to put in place effective responses to emerging illicit drug issues. The goals of the IDMS are: to serve as a strategic early warning system, identify emerging trends of local and national concern in illicit drug markets, and provide data in a timely manner.

National Drug Use Surveys - Regular drug use surveys have been conducted since 1990. The Ministry of Health is developing a new Alcohol and Drug survey module in 2007 in order to maintain trend data over time.

National Drug Intelligence Bureau - The National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB) was established in 1972 to record, disseminate and analyse all information relating to the illicit drug traffic obtained through various sources within New Zealand and overseas. Specifically its role includes:

• Being a focal point for international drug enquiries and enforcement
• Monitoring, analysing and developing Intelligence
• Drug reporting responsibilities
• Authoritative advice on drug issues.

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NSW

Drug crime trends - the NSW Government’s dedicated Drug Budget for 2003/04-2006/07 includes specific funding for the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research to conduct special research into drug crime trends including those emerging such as ice and methamphetamines.

Illicit Drug Monitoring Group – an expert group established to monitor and advise the NSW Government on emerging drug trends.

Incident Information Management System (IIMS) - This system guides the notification, prioritisation, investigation, analysis, action and feedback of health care incidents. All serious incidents are reported to the NSW Department of Health via a Reportable Incident Brief and are investigated in detail using a Root Cause Analysis.

South Australia

Designer Drug Early Warning System (D2EWS) - The system monitors the incidence and clinical effects of intoxicating substances at Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Departments. The primary objective of the D2EWS is to determine the range of drug use patterns that result in admission to Emergency Departments. The initiative is used to inform operational police of local illicit drug trends and will enable the development and implementation of timely prevention and intervention strategies in line with the changing picture of substance misuse that have potentially fatal consequences. This is a collaborative project between the Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Department, the Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia and Forensic Science South Australia.

Drug Use Monitoring Australia (DUMA) - In 2005, a Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) Amphetamine Bulletin, was disseminated across SAPOL and government. The Bulletin highlighted the prevalence of methamphetamine use amongst detainees in the two South Australian DUMA sites. DUMA information is also used for policy development.

Relationship between substance use and psychiatric disorders– Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) is conducting a literature review to investigate the relationship, prevalence and impact of psychiatric conditions among those with substance use disorders, and substance use disorders amongst those with psychiatric illness.

Victoria

The Department of Human Services has funded the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society, La Trobe University, to investigate patterns of ice use amongst the gay and lesbian community in Melbourne. The final report will provide a picture of the scale of harmful use in the gay community, the risk factors in relation to blood borne viruses and an overview of the responses available.

Australian Capital Territory

ACT Health, in partnership with the Red Cross Save a Mate Program and the Youth Coalition, is participating in the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre’s Ecstasy and Related Drugs research project. The project aims to identify and describe factors that facilitate the provision of drug information by peers to young people at nightclubs.

Queensland

The joint Crime and Misconduct Commission and Queensland Health Amphetamines in Queensland Research Project is being replicated. The first research study was undertaken in 2002. The study details findings about amphetamine users and their health problems and will guide the development and delivery of Queensland Health programs.

Queensland Health is also leading research on the patterns and nature of Injection Related Injuries and Diseases (IRID project) in order to find ways of reducing the damage and harms caused by people injecting amphetamines.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory Police facilitated the Drug Use Monitoring Australia, (DUMA) data collection conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology during 2006. The Data will be used to assist in policy development and a possible change in legislation to reschedule amphetamines.

Page currency, Latest update: 16 May, 2007