‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ – key findings of the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the drug ‘ice’

Australia has the highest rate of amphetamine dependence in the world, and of all the world’s regions, Australasia has, by a substantial margin, the highest rate of all-cause deaths associated with amphetamine dependence. Methamphetamine in its crystal form is particularly addictive and can quickly ruin the health and derail the lives of users and pose enormous challenges for their families and friends. In NSW, a staggering figure of around 8,000 persons with a current crystal methamphetamine addiction are received into the state’s gaols every year and require detoxing. But are we doing enough to help addicts get back on track? Should simple use and possession remain criminalised?

Another drug in the amphetamine family is MDMA (‘ecstasy’) which, whilst less addictive, can have harmful side effects and can be especially dangerous to naïve users. MDMA has been linked to numerous deaths of young adults attending music festivals. There have been strong calls for the introduction of ‘pill testing’ facilities and an equally strong resistance by the NSW government to this.

The ‘Ice Inquiry’ heard a vast amount of evidence and did a ‘deep dive’ into the many problems arising from amphetamine use, and its report released in February 2020 made 109 recommendations for addressing them.

Before Covid-19 struck, the NSW government indicated that it would make a detailed response to the report by the end of the year. Nothing has yet been forthcoming, and in the meantime the pandemic has heightened the ‘drivers’ of drug use such that the problems identified in the report will only continue to worsen unless profound changes are made.

About the Presenter

Professor Dan Howard SC was the Commissioner of the Special Commission of inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’, and delivered his final Report to the Governor and Premier of NSW on 28 January, 2020. A former President of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal and a former Acting Judge of the District Court of NSW, Dan is a Visiting Professorial Fellow with the School of Law at the University of Wollongong, and has for many years taught ‘Psychiatry and the Criminal Law’ in the Masters of Forensic Mental Health Program at UNSW. 

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Please note that this webinar will not be recorded. There will be an opportunity for discussion and questions at the end of the presentation.