8th October 2009, Mental Health Commission cautions Government against missing the big alligator in the swamp - alcohol
The Mental Health Commission strongly supports the initiatives announced today directed at reducing the harmful impact of Methamphetamine (P or ICE) use in NZ, but cautions against not missing the big alligator in the swamp – alcohol.
“The raft of proposed measures are what’s needed in terms of them being comprehensively aimed at the production and supply of the drug as well as assessment and treatment of users,” said Dr McGeorge Chair, Mental Health Commission.
Dr McGeorge who has spent the past 5 years working as an Emergency Psychiatrist in Kings Cross area in inner city Sydney, has been exposed first hand to people who have presented with the range of side-effects commonly associated with the use of P including severe anxiety and depressive symptoms, paranoia and extreme aggression.
“While the more common symptoms associated with misuse are anxiety, depression and suicidality there is nothing quite like a person deranged on P and there is no question that an overall strategy is needed to deal with its ravages,” said Dr Mc George.
However he questioned the amount of investment in terms of a singular focus on methamphetamine saying that many P users in fact use many drugs including alcohol and cannabis.
“ In focusing only on P the Government risks missing the big alligator in the swamp – namely alcohol,” he said.
“Alcohol is still far and away the most important drug that we need to combat in terms of misuse. It can be associated with significant mental health problems itself including all of those associated with P,” he said.
In welcoming the huge and comprehensive funding of the P programme Dr Mc George hopes that the Government will respond in kind to the recommendations of the Law Commission’s "Alcohol in our Lives" report. Given the enormity of drug and alcohol problems in New Zealand and especially among youth it is important that existing services are not compromised no matter how valuable new initiatives may be.
“ It is critical to ongoing management of alcohol and drug addiction services that the P beds are to be added to the total number of residential treatment beds and are not a substitute for existing services, Dr Mc George said.
Dr Mc George also noted that in high volume areas, such as South Auckland, the benefits of assigning mental health beds in Hospital Emergency Departments has been well documented overseas and could be another option to consider.
For further information please contact:
Gabrielle Huria
Media Advisor
Mental Health Commission
029 371 3904
