Australia: High society

ILLEGAL drugs including cocaine and ecstasy have penetrated almost every level of society.

Once seen as the exclusive domain of young nightclubbers or celebrities, experts warn that so-called "party drugs" are just as likely to be used by the local builder or family accountant.

The Sunday Mail this week used accredited police tests to find a cocktail of drugs almost everywhere from restaurants to trendy bars and other public areas.

Rugby union star Wendell Sailor's career is on the brink of destruction after he returned a positive test for recreational drugs.

Queensland police also recently moved to crack down on illicit drugs by using sniffer dogs in public raids on young people lining up to get into nightclubs.

But as the random tests by The Sunday Mail reveal, drug use is far more widespread than many realise.

Avoiding nightclubs police have raided in the past, we performed surface tests in the toilets of a range of Brisbane restaurants. Cocaine was detected in five out of six.

Some of the restaurants have bar areas that typically attract high-fliers from business and government for after-work drinks. Amphetamines were also detected at two of the restaurants.

In tests on bars throughout the City, Valley and Caxton St entertainment precincts, six out of seven venues tested positive for cocaine or amphetamines.

At yesterday's Doomben Cup race meeting, which attracted a crowd of thousands, toilets tested positive for cocaine.

Information gathered by The Sunday Mail also backs up reports that illegal party drug use has gone "mainstream" and is spreading at an alarming rate. We have been told about:

• Weddings where the bride, groom, groomsmen and bridesmaids all use ecstasy or cocaine.

• Birthday parties which include cake, candles, presents – and a bag of cocaine or an ecstasy pill for each guest.

• Daytime backyard barbecues where the drugs follow the snags.

• Drugs wrapped up as gifts for anniversaries, birthdays and promotions.

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre spokesman Paul Dillon confirmed people were taking drugs for "special occasions".

"In the past, they might have bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Now they're making other choices," he said.

"The problem, of course, with that choice is it is an illegal drug and there are consequences if you get caught."

Mr Dillon said there was a misconception that teenagers were the main users.

The reality was that an incredible one in two teenagers had used cannabis, but few had tried ecstasy or cocaine.

"Overwhelmingly, the biggest users of these drugs are people in their 20s and we're increasingly seeing people in their 30s," he said.

Mr Dillon stressed that people who used drugs were still in the minority. In the peak group – men in their 20s – about one in five had used ecstasy, cocaine or similar drugs.

But the numbers were still staggering, and growing, and the idea of a drug user as a "person who lives in the gutter" did not ring true.

"In our surveys, we interview doctors, lawyers, butchers, carpenters, teachers – a range of different people with a range of different experiences and reasons for using," he said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Sun, 21 May 2006
Source: The Sunday Mail (Australia - Web)
Author: David Murray
Website: http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au