Celebrities fund cocaine
A cocaine dealer has claimed that music, sport, fashion and TV stars are using cocaine worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Drug police have conceded that cocaine is the drug associated with the rich and famous.
All cocaine is imported into Australia by organised crime gangs with links to drug criminals in Colombia.
One organised gang shipped 434 Kg of cocaine worth $152 million in 2001 and attempted to smuggle a further 300 Kg last year.
A gram of cocaine sells for $350 enough for 10 uses.
A recent Australia Crime Commission report claimed it was impossible to estimate the size of the Australia cocaine market.
Cocaine use can cause brain seizures, heart attacks, brain haemorrhages, kidney failure, stroke, convulsions and can kill off receptors in the human brain.
(Source: Melbourne Herald Sun 22 August 2005)
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
Celebrities that use cocaine provide funds for international criminals that produce the cocaine in countries like Colombia that supplies 70 per cent of the worlds cocaine.
Australia is a prime target for cocaine imports because of the growing number of wealthy users.
This large cocaine user market in Australia should be reduced by diverting users into detoxification then rehabilitation.
Australia can successfully reduced illicit drug use and therefore the health risks by copying illicit drug policies from overseas where detoxification and rehabilitation are provided to get users drug free.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
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.
30/2005
