Media

Picture this: a young, vivacious, successful woman, with a successful business, a loving family. Andrea Simmons outlined in vivid detail how she was partaking in a bit of a knees-up at a swank hotel in town. Lots of good company, banter, laughter. Somebody suggests to her “take a puff of this, it isn’t going to hurt you…” and – literally – her world of success and love goes up in the proverbial puff of smoke.  A rapid descent into addiction, psychosis and other major health issues, her wealth destroyed. “I spent as much as $500 a day” she explained, “and I didn’t know any way I could get out”.

 

That is just one case. Do you know that every day, on average some 27 young people become addicted to “Ice” (Crystal Methamphetamines)? Do you know the method on how to make Ice is in plain sight on the Internet?” Only some 2% come out at the other side; if successful, the withdrawal period is an excruciating 18 months. The Australian market is totally flooded with the stuff: wastewater sampling tests show an increase of as much as 480% in the six years to 2016 and it has gone worse since then. Do you know that kids as young as 12 years old are given “free samples” and then, when they inevitably become addicted, are offered a “franchise distribution”? Do you know that availability is easy? Andrea outlined an instance where, when visiting the Gold Coast, she obtained a “pipe” with great ease, just asking for it.