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The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) 1999: Northern Territory drug patterns and trends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

Bridie O'Reilly ,
Paul Rysavy  and
Chris Moon
Bridie O'Reilly
Affiliation:
Social Work, Northern Territory University, Darwin
Paul Rysavy
Affiliation:
Territory Health Services, Darwin
Chris Moon
Affiliation:
Territory Health Services, Darwin
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Abstract

The national Illicit Drug Reporting System acts as an early warning system to detect and track amphetamine, heroin, cannabis, and cocaine use patterns and emerging trends. In the Northern Territory, structured interviews of 28 key informants and analysis of other drug indicator data, demonstrated that there was were diverse groups of amphetamine, opiate, and cannabis users in Darwin. There were reports of increasing use by Aborigines and youth. Amphetamines and morphine were usually injected and there had been a 338% increase in needle and syringe distribution in the 4 years to 1998/99. MS Contin 100mg was the usual opiate used, and the consumption of this Schedule 8 morphine narcotic had increased 1,100% from 1996 to 1998. Opiate overdoses were rare. The purity of amphetamines was low, but cannabis potency was high. All three drugs were considered to be easy to obtain. The policy and research implications of the results are discussed.

Type
Articles
Information
South Pacific Journal of Psychology , Volume 11 , Issue 2: Special Issue: Community Development in North Australia , 1999 , pp. 48 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © University of Papua New Guinea and the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Territory University, Australia 1999

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