National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy Background Paper: Monograph Series No. 69
1.6 Availability
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
Chapter 1: Introduction- 1.1 Background to the National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy
- 1.2 Defining amphetamine-type stimulants
- 1.3 History of amphetamine-type stimulants
- 1.4 Forms of illicit amphetamine-type stimulants
- 1.5 Australian data collections
- 1.6 Availability
- 1.7 Price
- 1.8 Purity
- 1.9 Routes of administration
- 1.10 Summary
Chapter 2 Setting the Context- Chapter 3: Effects of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants
- Chapter 4: Prevention and Harm Reduction
- Chapter 5: Treatment and Service Provision
- Chapter 6: Law Enforcement
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
Methamphetamine is readily available on the drug market in most areas of Australia. The 2005-06 IDDR found that the total weight of ATS seizures increased nationally from a few hundred kilos each year during the late 1990s to an average of around 1700 kilograms per annum over the past five years (Australian Crime Commission, 2007). The significance of the weight data is difficult to judge as several large MDMA seizures at the border in 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05 distort the totals. Nonetheless, there has been a significant increase in the amount of ATS/MDMA seized over the past five years when compared to the previous five year period. Figures 1.2 and 1.3 show this relationship between number and weight of seizures for amphetamine and phenethylamine at the Australian border over0 a 10-year period. While some of the increase can be attributed to more effective detection techniques, it may also indicate a marked increase in the availability of these drugs in Australia over the past decade.
Indications of availability from official records, such as seizure data, can be complemented by surveys with the general population and with specific groups of drug users. Both IDRS and EDRS enquire about market aspects of illicit drugs in the interviews conducted with regular users. The greatest proportion of the 2006 IDRS sample rated all forms of methamphetamine as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to obtain, and availability over the previous six months as ‘stable’ (O’Brien et al., 2007). Jurisdictional differences were observed, most notably in the Northern Territory where participants in Darwin rated all forms of methamphetamine as ‘difficult’ to obtain. The findings of the 2006 IDRS regarding availability of methamphetamine were supported by those of the 2006 EDRS. The greatest proportion of the national sample of REU rated availability of all forms of methamphetamine as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’, and availability over the previous six months as ‘stable’ (Dunn et al., 2007). These were also the most common responses found for availability of ecstasy.
Figure 1.2: Number and weight of detections of amphetamine (excluding phenethylamine) at the Australian border, 1995–96 to 2005–06
Source: Australian Customs Service
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Figure 1.3: Number and weight of detections of phenethylamine (MDMA/ecstasy) at the Australian border, 1995–96 to 2005–06
Responses from the 2006 sample of police detainees for DUMA suggest there have been some changes to the methamphetamine markets. Just under a third (30%) indicated it was harder to obtain their preferred form of amphetamine in the past 12 months and 26% indicated there had been an increase in price in the past 12 months (Mouzos et al., 2007). Difficulty with supply may account for the decrease in 2006 in the percent of detainees indicating crystal methamphetamine as their preferred form of amphetamine.
According to the 2004 NDSHS, the most common form of methamphetamine used by the Australian general population in the last 12 months was powder (74%) followed by crystal (29%), base (26%), tablets (12%) and liquid (9%) (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005a). Figure 1.4 shows little variation between males and females, although females are slightly more likely to report using powder.
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12 Figure 1.4: Forms of methamphetamine* used by recent users**, 2004
*Respondents could select more than one type
** Self reported use in past 12 months
Source: 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey – detailed findings, N=29,445 respondents
The national consultations reported variations in availability of methamphetamine across the country and geographic variations in terms of demand and supply. There was general concern however, that ATS were becoming more widely available in rural and remote Australia. This is supported by research in rural and remote Australia that reported a perception that methamphetamine use was increasing in these areas (Delahunty & Putt, 2006).
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