NSW: US drugs expert warns govt to curb Ice problem

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2006
NSW: US drugs expert warns govt to curb Ice problem

A US drugs expert will today warn Australian governments that the scourge of the drug
Ice will worsen unless the problem is nipped in the bud.

Federal .. state and New Zealand ministers today attend a forum in Sydney on crystal
methamphetamine hydrochloride .. also known as Ice.

Professor JOHN GRABOWSKI .. of the University of Texas .. is backing medically supervised
injecting rooms and the use of the substitute drug dextroamphetamine sulphate as means
of treating ice addiction.

Prof GRABOWSKI says Ice use is less common in Australia than in the United States ..

but warns this can change quickly and policy makers need to deal with the issue now.

Prof GRABOWSKI says supervised injecting rooms are one element of dealing with drug
addiction .. and action is needed now to keep up with developments.

He says he also supports using dextroamphetamine sulphate to treat Ice addiction ..

in the same way methadone is used to treat heroin addiction.

AAP RTV pj/was/wz/rt

KEYWORD: ICE (SYDNEY)

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