SHARP RISE IN DRUG PSYCHOSIS
ICE, SPEED and AMPHETAMINES are being blamed for a drastic rise in drug affected people attending hospital emergency departments with drug induced psychosis.
One major Australian hospital has seen a 4 fold increase in the number of psychotic episodes in the 10 years between 1994 and 2004.
New research published in the Medical Journal of Australia has estimated that illicit drugs are the cause of more than 1 in every 100 emergency presentations at public hospitals.
Most drug psychosis presentations involved violence with one third of patients requiring sedation to protect other patients, hospital and ambulance personal as well as the general public.
(Source: Melbourne Herald Sun 2 April 2007)
The Drug Advisory Council of Australia Comments-
Australian governments are spending scarce taxpayers funds at hospitals to handle the growing aggressive drug users.
Medical and ambulance staffs are concerned at the increasing drug use increasing violence and the repeat attendance of drug users at emergency departments.
Also of major concern is the youth of illicit drug users and the potential for brain damage to users of AMPHETAMINES.
Rather than scare health funds being used at hospitals to handle aggressive repeat drug users we should be using the first incidence to identify drug users and divert them into detoxification and then rehabilitation.
Australian courts should order and supervise identified illicit drug users into detoxification and rehabilitation with the clear intention of getting them completely free of drug use.
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
11/2007