In an Australian first, the publicly available, Q&A style database, funded by the Federal Government, provides service providers and law enforcement with the latest high quality research, giving them the ability to cut through the misinformation around crystal methamphetamine (or ice) and do their jobs more effectively.

The National Alcohol and Drug Knowledgebase (NADK) database provides easy access to answers to the big questions on methamphetamine, including its impact on health, law enforcement, crime, young people, employment and medical treatment.

Significantly, it also includes a snapshot of methamphetamine use in rural and regional Australia.

In order to provide the biggest and highest quality resource of its kind in Australia, researchers from Flinders’ NCECTA painstakingly analysed vast quantities of information from a wide range of key methamphetamine-related datasets.

The result is detailed responses to almost 100 FAQs for policy makers, researchers, service providers and law enforcement, many of which link to further supporting information.

NCETA Director, Professor Ann Roche, said the database was the only one available on trends and utilisation of treatment for methamphetamine-related issues.

“For example in 2012-13, the proportion of treatment episodes for which amphetamines were the principal drug of concern increased by a third to 14% from previous years placing greater demand on treatment services,” says Professor Roche.

“In addition, it answers important and often misunderstood questions about the short-term and long-term physical and psychological effects of methamphetamine and how to identify if someone is experiencing adverse effects.

“This has important implications for service providers and the way in which services are able to respond to this growing demand.”

Key facts on methamphetamine use in Australia:

The Knowledgebase can be accessed at nadk.flinders.edu.au/ or on the NCETA home page at www.nceta.flinders.edu.au