❓ Ms. Rowe asks about the McGowan government's actions to reduce illicit drug use, particularly methamphetamine. The Minister outlines initiatives including increased funding, legislation, a meth border force, specialist equipment, and collaboration with Commonwealth agencies, highlighting a reduction in meth lab explosions.
AnsweredQoN 79Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE
79. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan government's
policy and priority of creating a safer community for its target of reducing
illicit drug use. Can the minister outline to the house what action the McGowan
government is taking in driving down illicit drug use, and in particular
disrupting the supply of methamphetamine?
79. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan government's
policy and priority of creating a safer community for its target of reducing
illicit drug use. Can the minister outline to the house what action the McGowan
government is taking in driving down illicit drug use, and in particular
disrupting the supply of methamphetamine?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Belmont for
her question. As members of this house will know, according to the national
wastewater results, methamphetamine use peaked in Western Australia in September
2016. For some years now Western Australia has had either the highest or second
highest methamphetamine use in the country, competing with Adelaide. This is a problem
that did not occur all of a sudden; it built up over a period of years. We
know, for example, according to the Dumas testing, that Perth watch house had
rates of 20 per cent methamphetamine use in urine analyses taken from prisoners
there. By 2016, 60 per cent of people taken to Perth watch house had
methamphetamine in their urine. Huge growth in methamphetamine use was
demonstrated by the Dumas testing between 2008 and 2016. That is why our
government has made it a priority to deal with methamphetamine use. We know the
tragedy that it inflicts on our community. We know the impact that it has on
individuals and their families, and that it is a driver of crime. That is why
we have dedicated over $100 million to the fight against methamphetamine. It is
why our first piece of legislation in this house was life sentences for
trafficking in methamphetamine. It is why we established the meth border force
with 100 additional officers and 20 specialist staff. We purchased the meth
truck so that we could have specialist X-ray equipment on board and we can test
from a mobile unit, similar to what we might have at an airport. It is also why
last year I announced three specially built meth enforcement vans. We purchased
three Isuzu trucks to tow these caravans, which, I note, are made here in the
Perth metropolitan area. They are locally designed and locally made meth vans.
We have deployed those trucks and vans to regional Western Australia because we
know there is an ongoing problem with methamphetamine in regional areas. We
have also equipped our police with devices called TruNarc. These are handheld
devices that can readily identify illicit drugs and a range of other
substances. We have also equipped those specialist police officers with mobile
phone downloading devices because we know that drug dealers also deal in cash,
ammunition and weapons. Our police force has been working hard on this and
police have been using the additional resources. In contrast with the times
when we saw a meth lab explosion per week in Perth, we now see very few meth
labs in the metropolitan area. In fact, I am told that as few as nine were
uncovered last year, compared with the hundreds we saw previously.
We still have a problem interdicting
drugs coming into this state. That is why we are targeting the drug transit
routes and working with commonwealth agencies. I certainly want to applaud
police efforts in recent times; they have seized a record amount of
methamphetamine and other drugs. They are working hard to disrupt the supply of
methamphetamine in our state. We will continue this work because this is a clear
priority of our government—to reduce meth use in our community.
her question. As members of this house will know, according to the national
wastewater results, methamphetamine use peaked in Western Australia in September
2016. For some years now Western Australia has had either the highest or second
highest methamphetamine use in the country, competing with Adelaide. This is a problem
that did not occur all of a sudden; it built up over a period of years. We
know, for example, according to the Dumas testing, that Perth watch house had
rates of 20 per cent methamphetamine use in urine analyses taken from prisoners
there. By 2016, 60 per cent of people taken to Perth watch house had
methamphetamine in their urine. Huge growth in methamphetamine use was
demonstrated by the Dumas testing between 2008 and 2016. That is why our
government has made it a priority to deal with methamphetamine use. We know the
tragedy that it inflicts on our community. We know the impact that it has on
individuals and their families, and that it is a driver of crime. That is why
we have dedicated over $100 million to the fight against methamphetamine. It is
why our first piece of legislation in this house was life sentences for
trafficking in methamphetamine. It is why we established the meth border force
with 100 additional officers and 20 specialist staff. We purchased the meth
truck so that we could have specialist X-ray equipment on board and we can test
from a mobile unit, similar to what we might have at an airport. It is also why
last year I announced three specially built meth enforcement vans. We purchased
three Isuzu trucks to tow these caravans, which, I note, are made here in the
Perth metropolitan area. They are locally designed and locally made meth vans.
We have deployed those trucks and vans to regional Western Australia because we
know there is an ongoing problem with methamphetamine in regional areas. We
have also equipped our police with devices called TruNarc. These are handheld
devices that can readily identify illicit drugs and a range of other
substances. We have also equipped those specialist police officers with mobile
phone downloading devices because we know that drug dealers also deal in cash,
ammunition and weapons. Our police force has been working hard on this and
police have been using the additional resources. In contrast with the times
when we saw a meth lab explosion per week in Perth, we now see very few meth
labs in the metropolitan area. In fact, I am told that as few as nine were
uncovered last year, compared with the hundreds we saw previously.
We still have a problem interdicting
drugs coming into this state. That is why we are targeting the drug transit
routes and working with commonwealth agencies. I certainly want to applaud
police efforts in recent times; they have seized a record amount of
methamphetamine and other drugs. They are working hard to disrupt the supply of
methamphetamine in our state. We will continue this work because this is a clear
priority of our government—to reduce meth use in our community.
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