National Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Strategy Background Paper: Monograph Series No. 69
1.8 Purity
- 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
According to the IDDR (Australian Crime Commission, 2007), purity levels vary markedly from 1% to 99% pure for both amphetamine and methamphetamine samples. Not all seizures by Australian law enforcement agencies are subjected to forensic analysis. In 2005/06, 193 amphetamine seizures were tested and 4878 methamphetamine seizures were tested. Their median purity varied from 7% to 79%. The largest number of seizures tested were in Queensland (n=1649) and South Australia (n=1319), while no seizures in the ACT or the NT were tested.
Figure 1.5: Median purity of methamphetamine samples, 2001/02–2005/06
Note: Breaks in the lines in this chart indicate that no seizures were analysed in that quarter.
Source: ACC Illicit drug report 2005-06:16.
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Given that all the forms of methamphetamine are classified together by forensic laboratories for testing, it is difficult to determine the purity of the different forms. Estimates ranged from 10% purity for powder forms, 21% for base methamphetamine, and 19% to 80% for crystalline methamphetamine (National Leadership Forum on Ice, 2006). The majority of IDU in the 2006 IDRS reported the current purity of powder as ‘low’, base as ‘medium’, and the purity of crystal methamphetamine as ‘high’ (O’Brien et al., 2007). The greatest proportion of IDU rated the purity of all forms of methamphetamine as ‘stable’ over the previous six months (O’Brien et al., 2007). Differences emerged in perceptions across capital cities of drug purity by IDU. Ratings of ‘high’ purity for both speed and base were greatest in Melbourne (25% and 50% respectively) and Adelaide (24% and 49% respectively), and for crystal in Brisbane (68%), Perth (59%) and Hobart (51%) (O’Brien et al., 2007).
In the 2006 EDRS, the greatest proportion of REU reported the purity of all forms of methamphetamine as ‘high’ or ‘medium’ (Dunn et al., 2007). It is noted that these ratings are subjective in nature and although some users report the quality as high, the overall median purity generally remains low at less than 20% for those seizures tested by State and Territory police (Australian Crime Commission, 2007). However, AFP seizures have a much higher medium purity suggesting that methamphetamine, once it reaches users, has been significantly adulterated (Australian Crime Commission, 2007).
In the 2006 EDRS, the majority of REU in the national sample rated the current purity of ecstasy tablets as ‘medium’ (38%), followed by ‘fluctuates’ (31%) (Dunn et al., 2007). Accordingly, 32% of the national sample each rated purity of ecstasy over the previous six months as ‘stable’ and ‘fluctuated’ (Dunn et al., 2007). Ratings of current purity as ‘high’ were greatest among REU in Canberra (23%), Brisbane (22%) and Sydney (20%), while ratings of current purity as ‘low’ was greatest in Perth (22%) (Dunn et al., 2007). As noted, the purity of ecstasy tablets varies considerably because of the mode of manufacture and levels of adulterants. The median purity of phenethylamines is estimated between 20% and 40% (Australian Crime Commission, 2007).
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There was considerable comment across consultations and within the jurisdictions about the variable quality of ATS. It was suggested at one consultation that domestically manufactured ATS are becoming purer in content, although are still not to the standard of those imported from SE Asia. Many at the consultations and key stakeholders considered street amphetamine to be heavily adulterated with other substances including sugar, ephedrine, glucose, talcum powder and quinine. One adulterant used in the production of methamphetamine is dimethylsulphone (also known as MSM), a dietary supplement for arthritis sufferers. MSM can be added to methamphetamine during the final stages of the production process to give a similar appearance to crystal methamphetamine (Fetherston & Lenton, 2007). This may in turn lead some users to believe that they are consuming the higher potency crystalline form of methamphetamine when they are consuming lower purity forms of methamphetamine which have been given a crystal appearance.
The written submission from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)
noted previous research suggesting that:
- Several shifts in the drug market over the past decade have prompted concern. These include a shift from amphetamine to methamphetamine supply in the mid 1990s, an increase in the prevalence of use and related indicators in the late 1990s, and an increase in the purity of street level seizures of the drug from this time, with the emergence of imported high purity crystalline methamphetamine. Current community concern about methamphetamine reflects the culmination of these trends and a growing public awareness about this drug problem.
