Australia cranks up record apprehensions for meth (ice) and steroids (juice)

Juice and ice.  Great combination served up if your in the Australian Customs service.  Reports from The Australian say that the seizure of ice (methamphetamine) and gear (steroids) advanced this year.

AUTHORITIES recorded a 16-fold increase in the amount of ice seized at the border in one year, fuelling concerns that Australia is in the grip of an epidemic of the party drug.

In its annual report tabled in parliament last week, Customs said 224.83kg of ice, or crystal methamphetamine, was seized in 2007-08, compared with 14.45kg in 2006-07. In 2005-06, a quarter of last year's amount, 55kg, was seized.

Customs national manager for investigations Richard Janeczko told The Australian that the rise was due to a range of factors, including better detection, an expanding market and a displacement effect, as criminals sought to import the drug whole, rather than the precursor chemicals.

The Customs report also records a marked increase in the amount of steroids intercepted by authorities. In 2007-08, there were 1457 interceptions of steroids, compared with 1100 the year before and 709 in 2005-06.

And cocaine seizures have been tracking upwards, with 649.29kg detected last year, compared with 609.95kg of cocaine in 2006-07.

Increasingly, crime syndicates are turning to illegal tobacco. Last year, 287,455kg of illegal tobacco and about 106.8million cigarettes were seized, compared with 67,422kg of tobacco and 39.8 million cigarettes held in 2006-07

Those that argue the US Congress not be involved in steroid regulation probably understand that the underground network who sells steorids also sells meth...to your kids.  No 'crystal' coating it...

Comments

[Millard Baker]

Those that argue the US Congress not be involved in steroid regulation probably understand that the underground network who sells steorids also sells meth...to your kids. No 'crystal' coating it...

This statement only starts to become somewhat true with increasing steroid regulation (criminalization). Before Congress criminalized AAS, the AAS black market was a distinct market with very little overlap with other drugs.

While the overlap will likely increase if the USSC continues to increases the penalties for steroid distribution, the AAS black market continues to operate in large part independent of those of other recreational drugs. If you read the details from the court documents of Operation Raw Deal, you will find that most of the steroid distributors had nothing to do with Schedule I or II drugs.

Of course, any commodity that is criminalized and pushed deep underground will eventually end up on the in this network. If alcohol or tobacco were criminalized and traffickers were put in prison for 5, 10, 15 years, they would be sold alongside crystal meth.

Fear-mongering about steroid dealers selling, not only steroids, but also crystal meth to teenagers is a little much -- especially when it does not accurately reflect the steroid black market OR the typical user of steroids.

[Steroid Nation]

If you look at the busts of street drug dealers, steroids is just one more commodity sold for a illicit profit. The steroids trade is controlled by typical drug smugglers, including the Russian Mafia, organized crime, and other black market sources as documented at WADA conferences.

Street drugs like meth and steroids present clear public health problems. That is the fact of the matter. If there is an underground illicit drug market, it will be controlled by a criminal element. No whitewashing that fact changes it.

The argument for the use of anabolic drugs is one issue, and academically presents itself in a sanitized format. That issue can be debated in an open matter.

However the drug distribution networks are clearly sleazy, which present no debate. It's illegal.

The 'prohibition argument' that prohibiting a substance or act drives it underground is a canard. Heroin should not be legalized because the prohibition of the drug created a black market for it.

Perhaps anabolic steroids for 'bodybuilding' could be legalized, thus improving the quality of the gear for users, and eliminating some of the black market. That is if you believe that users will stick with testosterone 200mg a week or some low dose as prescribed by a physician. Any user wanting to stack multiple drugs at high doses will need the black market once again.

Thanks for the comment

[Millard Baker]

I'm NOT debating whether anabolic steroid distribution on the black market is illegal. It clearly is illegal in many jurisdictions. I am not engaging you in a debate on this issue - it is cut and dry as you suggest.

I AM disagreeing with you on your assertion that it is the same illegal "underground network who sells steorids also sells meth". If you look at the last two massive US DEA steroid busts (i.e. Operation Gear Grinder and Operation Raw Deal), the networks distributed primarily anabolic steroids and NOT crystal meth and schedule I and II drugs as you assert/imply.

Regarding the prohibition argument, making something illegal will create a black market - simple supply and demand. I did NOT use this as a justification for legalization as you suggest. I DID disagree with your reverse use of the prohibition argument to seemingly justify criminalization (e.g. since crystal meth dealers are selling steroids then we should increase "steroid regulation" ).

Thanks for listening and responding.

[Steroid Nation]

I would have to look again at the distribution network, as these change all the time. There 'seems' to be an independent steroid distribution network that 'apparently' does not sell other street drugs (I am looking at experience here and not at data so I use the quotes), which included police dealers.

There also seems to be a street drug network that deals the other assorted drugs independent of steroids.

However there also seems to be (form the busts reported which is a selected group) those dealers who don't pay union dues to one group or the other, and simply supply the trade in all black market drugs.

So I understand your point.

I can't find etrade software for street drugs though.... :^)

Thanks for the comments.

[Proactol Australia]

Terrible facts about Australia

[chanel 2.55]

I did NOT use this as a justification for legalization as you suggest. I DID disagree with your reverse use of the prohibition argument to seemingly justify criminalization (e.g. since crystal meth dealers are selling steroids then we should increase "steroid regulation" ).

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Protect the earth is everybody's business

[seo phoenix]

Let's protect our kids from these bad elements.

[Martin@ProactolAustralia]

Struth, I thought kids would have learned about this stuff by now - it is just not worth getting involved in it!

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this as a justification for legalization as you suggest. I DID disagree with your reverse use of the prohibition argument to seemingly justify criminalizatio