Sara Everingham reported this story on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 12:48:41

NT ICE I/V

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TWT

DAVID MARK: The Northern Territory Government's inquiry into crystal methamphetamine, or ice, has wrapped up its hearings and is considering its recommendations.



The chairman of the inquiry, Nathan Barrett, says alcohol is still the biggest substance abuse problem in the Northern Territory.



But he says the inquiry will make several recommendations to prevent the spread of ice and to stop it entering the Territory's remote Indigenous communities.



Nathan Barrett is speaking here with Sara Everingham.



SARA EVERINGHAM: Well Nathan Barrett you've spent the past few months looking at the ice problem in the Northern Territory has it been a worthwhile exercise?



NATHAN BARRETT: I think given the trajectory of this particular drug in terms of its prevalence in the Northern Territory, it's very important that we get on this now so yes I think it’s been very timely and a very important process.



SARA EVERINGHAM: How much of a problem is ice in the Northern Territory?



NATHAN BARRETT: I think you're looking at it from the terms of a trajectory I don't think that it is initially a really big problem right now. There are other parts of Australia that are facing a much more damaging situation than us, just because of the penetration that this drug has got into the community, that it's already in there, it's already in their in force.



We've been able to ascertain from our studies that, whilst it's here and whilst it's here in growing amounts, it's not yet at the point where it's out in remote communities in large quantities or starting to affect people out in remote or regional areas so much that we'd be particularly worried about.



We need to remember and many people during the inquiry have said that we need to not take our eye off the alcohol ball.



In relation to your question asking how big is this problem, in comparison to alcohol it's still a very small problem, but that doesn't mean that we don't address it.



SARA EVERINGHAM: What are some of the recommendations you're likely to make?



NATHAN BARRETT: So we've made recommendations in the education space. Whether that be educating alcohol and other drug workers that working on a front line and dealing with people with this drug.



We've been working some recommendations I believe will go to having an education program in schools and also educating and helping people who are coming through our correction systems.



We also want to arm our police with as much resources they can to start fighting this in terms of people that are using this and people that are dealing this whether that be through improving their powers to randomly test people or whether that be through setting in place some things with the police that improve their engagement with the community on this issue.



We found in some places that the community was quite reticent to discuss ice users and ice dealers with the police out of fear for their own safety.



SARA EVERINGHAM: When the inquiry began and you talked about a greater use of very sensitive hair follicle testing in the work place or in areas like Darwin's night club strip to target recreational users. So is that something that is likely to be one of the recommendations?



NATHAN BARRETT: That particular method of testing in the research that we've done is quite cost prohibitive, but personally I would love to see it done.



I would love to see the Federal Government actually subsidise this test. I would love to see a hair follicle test become the industry standard, because what that shows is that businesses, the community, the Government everybody is on the same page in terms of saying we don't want this drug in our community.



That's more of a personal opinion of mine; the recommendations that will come through the committee will be more around making sure that the police are able to do testing and that they will use whatever testing they believe is appropriate for the sorts of things that they're doing.



DAVID MARK: The chairman of the Northern Territory's Parliamentary Ice Inquiry Nathan Barrett was speaking to Sara Everingham.