Populations and areas most at risk of methamphetamine-related harms: A commentary on Degenhardt et al.

Abstract

Degenhardt and colleagues show that the recent shift towards use of crystal methamphetamine (ice) rather than powder methamphetamine in Australia has coincided with a rapid increase in methamphetamine-related harms. They also note that this shift has been accompanied by reports of more young people using the drug in regional and remote areas of Australia. Degenhardt et al.'s article raises two important questions for us: (i) which populations are most at risk of methamphetamine-related harms; and (ii) which regional, rural and remote areas have been most affected by the increase in methamphetamine-related harms?