Queensland beefs up steroids laws after drastic rise in seizures

Updated

Steroids have been reclassified as a schedule one dangerous drug under new laws aimed at reducing drug and alcohol-fuelled violence in Queensland.

The changes, passed by State Parliament on Tuesday night, mean they are now classified alongside heroin, cocaine and amphetamines in the highest category of dangerous illicit substances.

It also increases the maximum penalty for possession or supply of steroids to 25 years in jail.

The new laws were passed as part of the State Government's Safe Night Out legislation to tackle drug and alcohol use.

The latest Australian Crime Commission statistics show in the 2012-13 financial year, more than half of the nation's steroid arrests were in Queensland.

Last year, the weight of steroids seized in Queensland increased more than 20 times from 216 grams to 4.6 kilograms.

There were 392 steroids-linked arrests in Queensland in 2012-13, compared with 296 the previous financial year.

Police find steroid stashes in two Gold Coast raids

The change in classification came after police targeted steroids in a series of raids on the Gold Coast this week.

Officers from the state's anti-bikie squad, Taskforce Maxima, found tablets, syringes and drug vials during a raid on a Runaway Bay home on Monday morning.

Two men were charged over the matter and are due to face court next month.

We are seeing users increasingly involved in crimes of violence and with ongoing health problems. Detective Inspector Brendan Smith, Taskforce Maxima

In a separate raid on a house in Runaway Bay on Tuesday morning, officers found $25,000 worth of steroids and charged a 26-year-old man with drug offences.

Taskforce boss Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said steroids were a growing problem.

He said the arrest came as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal sale of steroids by criminal motorcycle gangs.

"Our investigations reveal how these gangs do not limit themselves to traditional offences, they identify vulnerable members of the community and exploit them," he said.

"The illegal sale of steroids and their inappropriate use sees increasing community concern.

"We are seeing users increasingly involved in crimes of violence and with ongoing health problems."

MP warns of growing steroid user subculture

In Tuesday night's parliamentary debate, Bulimba MP Aaron Dillaway said his constituents had raised concerns about the use of steroids.

"The unsupervised use of such substances can potentially harm the individual and have been linked to aggression and violent behaviour," he said.

Mr Dillaway also warned against a growing "bruss" subculture in Queensland.

"A term I have been told is used by our younger generations to describe a person who devotes his entire time shredding and mass bulking at the gym and may use steroids to enhance this process."

Topics: drugs-and-substance-abuse, laws, drug-offences, state-parliament, brisbane-4000, southport-4215, runaway-bay-4216

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