[Greens-Media] Brown backs Rudd plan to tackle 'ice' problem

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Sunday 15 April 2007
Brown backs Rudd plan to tackle 'ice' problem
Greens leader Bob Brown is backing Kevin Rudd's 3 point plan to tackle
the problem of drug abuse, specifically methamphetamine or 'ice'. 
Speaking in Hobart today Senator Brown said that while much more needed
to be done, Rudd's proposal ought to be taken up by the government.
"There should be much more cooperation across the political spectrum on
this issue. This problem is affecting all Australians and it is not a
matter for partisan politics."
"Mr Rudd's proposal to ban the importation of all drug paraphernalia
used to ingest methamphetamines, prohibit the sale of pseudoephedrine to
minors and ban the sale of pseudoephedrine over the internet are all
strategies which will immediately help this growing problem", Senator
Brown said.
The Australian National Council on Drugs paper on methamphetamines was
released in January and welcomed by the government. They should be
acting immediately on the recommendations in that paper."
"The problem is that the 'ice' epidemic is so worrying that the
government should bring together the Australian and international
experts in the field as a permanent taskforce to more effectively tackle
both the manufacture and supply of this drug, and to help the growing
number of Australians ending up in hospital or other medical care
because of these drugs"
*	About 100,000 Australians of all ages use methamphetamines each
week and more than 500,000 have used the drug in the past year 
*	the Australian National Council on Drugs found that 50
Australians die each year from psycho-stimulant drugs such
methamphetamine 
*	the number of hospitalisations as a result of methamphetamine
use has increased fourfold in the past four years 
Further information: Prue Cameron 0408 473 379


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Ebony Bennett
Media Adviser
Office of Greens Senator Bob Brown
Mobile: 0409 164 603
Ph: (02) 6277 3170
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
ebony.bennett at aph.gov.au