Working in the mining sector is without a doubt one of the riskiest jobs in any given industry. The ice scourge that is facing the Australian mining industry, however, is making this sector even more dangerous than anyone can possibly imagine.
A special multi-agency drug taskforce formed by the State Government of Western Australia has been removing a significant amount of ice from WA’s streets since April, says Danielle Le Messurier in a report for Perth Now.
According to Police Minister Liza Harvey, the WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, which was established with Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan, has seized 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, more popularly known as ice.
Headed by former Victoria police commissioner Ken Lay, the drug taskforce operates throughout WA, and will focus on serious and organised crime in the state, the ice threat in particular. It is made up of 15 permanent officers from WA Police, Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.
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Australian authorities reveal that ice traffickers in Australia are becoming more creative when it comes to smuggling drugs into the country.
Paramedics across Australia have expressed concern about the “superhuman strength” exhibited by ice users they are helping during callouts, fearing it would just be a matter of time before they get hurt or even killed according to a report by Mark Willacy for ABC News.
Willacy’s report cited one case of a female ice user of slight build who needed to be restrained by three men with the assistance of policemen so they could sedate her. Once in the hospital, the woman had to be restrained again, this time by nine people because she was just too strong.
Paramedics have good reason to worry about their safety, as ice users can indeed be very violent, paranoid and unpredictable.
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Reisa Su writes an article for the International Business Times saying that coordinated action is necessary if the ice epidemic in Australia is to be solved.
Su says this much is stressed out in the government report, Illicit Drug Data Report 2013-2014. The Australian drug market is rapidly expanding, organized crime groups are taking advantage, and many Australians have proven to be willing to pay higher than usual price for drugs like ice. This has made Australia an attractive marketplace for the manufacture and importation of ice or methylamphetamine.
A national task force has been formed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to combat the ice epidemic. This task force will coordinate with state and local governments to address the problem. To further strengthen the response against the growing ice epidemic in Australia, collaboration between the government and the private sectors is also highly encouraged.
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Read MoreThe first positive test for ice on a racehorse has prompted Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey to call on trainers to test their staff for drugs, says Michael Manley in a report for Herald Sun.
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A news alert put out by OHS Alert talks about a report saying employers that implement workplace drug policies that are disciplinary-focused run the risk of creating a culture of distrust.
A submission by the Australian Industry Group to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement’s inquiry into ice or crystal methamphetamine reveals that ice use is endemic in blue collar industries.
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