Senior Constable, Ben Harm, who is the officer in charge of the Centenary North Police Beat, visited us again recently to speak about crystal meth, more commonly known as ICE. Believe it or not, it is not a new drug. It has been around since the early 1900s and has had many uses before now. The key issue today is the increase in ICE usage as it is of a higher quality and more pure thus it is more addictive. The effects of ICE are not pretty, with many users losing weight, having sleep problems, initial euphoria followed by a big down which results in violence. It is a poison so it also has significant effects on skin (lesions), teeth etc.If you suspect someone is on ice or that someone may be having an unusual or dangerous reaction to it ring 000. On ICE people can overheat, dehydrate, have fits/seizures, collapse, panic and suffer from paranoia/psychosis. Encourage them to take a break – eat, drink, sleep, encourage them to seek treatment. Don’t forget, if you see anything suspicious, no matter how big or small, tell the Police, they want to know. You are NOT wasting their time. Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Policelink 131444 (non urgent)
