News

Cocaine Use History Can Be Seen in Fingerprints, Say Scientists

22 June, 2015 by Alan Sinclair

Scientists from the University of Surrey have claimed they can detect cocaine use just by taking a closer look at fingerprints, says Andrew Griffin in a report for The Independent.

According to the researchers, fingerprints carry chemical indicators that come out of the breakdown of cocaine. With an analysis of fingerprints, the scientists said they could discover much more quickly if a person has recently used cocaine.

This discovery potentially makes drug testing faster and easier, as there would no longer be any need to extract any kind of fluid from a patient. It will also make the drug testing procedure more secure, as fingerprints are unique and cannot be faked the way some people do with urine or blood specimens.

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Ice Use in Australia Down, Says Government Research

19 June, 2015 by Alan Sinclair

Contrary to pronouncements from senior government officials about the worsening ice epidemic in Australia, leaked federal government research suggests levels of ice use in Australia has actually gone down, says Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie in a report for The Age.

The research, which was commissioned by the Department of Health, states that aside from a decline in the use and the desire to use ice, the drug’s “brand” amongst young people had also been “damaged”. The research cited 2012 statistics showing that between 2003 and 2012, there was a 23 per cent fall in ice use by regular ecstasy and psychostimulant drug users.

The findings of the research paper goes in direct conflict with the declarations of senior government officials, including Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who claimed that the ice epidemic is the worst drug problem Australia has had to face.

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Deadliest Ice and Speed in Australia Being Sold in Victoria

18 June, 2015 by Alan Sinclair

A major intelligence report has revealed that the ice and speed being sold in Victoria are the most destructive and addictive of its kind in the whole of Australia, says Keith Moor in a report for the Herald Sun.

The Australian Crime Commission’s Illicit Drug Data Report for 2013-14 says the methylamphetamines being sold in Victoria are stronger than anywhere else in Australia, with a purity level of 80 per cent, a level reached in just the past five years from 10 per cent.

The ACC report also says ice is also getting cheaper in Victoria, which is already in the middle of a very serious ice epidemic.

In the last ten years, the number of clandestine drug laboratories nationwide have risen by 95.2 per cent, further contributing to the worsening ice epidemic in Australia.

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Price of Ice in Sydney Plunges

15 June, 2015 by Alan Sinclair

The ice epidemic in Australia is making a turn for the worse as the price of ice in Sydney falls, say Emma Partridge and Eamonn Duff in a report for the Brisbane Times.

According to police sources, ice is now being sold for as little as $6000 an ounce in regional areas, a major drop from the price of ice three years ago, when it was pegged at $10,000 and $14,000 an ounce. In towns like Newcastle, a single ‘point’ hit of ice now sells for as little as $40.

The drop in the price of ice is being blamed on the influx of chemical ingredients from China that are entering Australia legally. Ice is primarily made of pseudoephedrine, iodine and hypophosphorous acid.

Police also points to the rise of “backyard” labs and opportunists using internet recipes as another reason for the plunge in the price of ice.

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