How to ‘Melt the Ice’ on the Streets: A Social-Control Analysis on the Rise of Methamphetamine within Australia and the Need to Reduce Demand

Abstract

Since its emergence in the mid-1990s the increased use, illegal importation and home production of methamphetamine in Australia have sparked significant concern among the community, law enforcement agencies and policy-makers alike. In particular, the normalisation of methamphetamine consumption within some sub-groups, notably young people through the dance-party scene, has elicited a strong media concern and reactive law enforcement response. The classification and sale of pseudoephedrine through pharmacies, the implementation of Project STOP, and the intensification of punitive regulations are just some examples of the tough-on-crime reaction of the Federal and State governments. However, the response to the emerging methamphetamine so-called ‘epidemic’ in Australia should also encompass a critical analysis of the demand-side of the illicit drug industry. Given the need to focus on the safety and welfare of individuals within the community, Australia's response to this synthetic drug has recently begun moving towards more comprehensive demand-reduction initiatives and treatments.