Parents choose ‘meth over milk’ in ice crisis

JOSH HANRAHAN


AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw says addicts’ children ‘neglected’. Picture: Sean Davey

AUSTRALIAN Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw believes children born to meth addicted parents are the real victims of the nation’s ice crisis, declaring “as a society, we have to ensure parents are not buying meth over milk”.

In a speech to be delivered to the National Press Club, Mr Kershaw will demand Australians have an “honest” conversation about drugs.

“There are too many cases where children are going hungry or neglected because their parents are continuously feeding their addiction,” Mr Kershaw is expected to say.

“As a society, we have to ensure parents are not buying meth over milk.”

It follows the blockbuster arrest of hundreds of Australian organised crime figures last month in Operation Ironside, a Trojan horse ploy in which federal agents promoted the Anom messaging app to the criminal world and read every word they shared.

Mr Kershaw said, in one state, ice was a major factor it up to 39 per cent of cases where a child had to be taken into care.

“I’m told there’s little more gut-wrenching than hearing a newborn wail as they struggle with withdrawing from methamphetamine. One child born to meth-addicted parents is one child too many.

“Most drug users need to get their drugs from someone, and overwhelmingly there is a direct link to transnational serious organised crime.

“Every drug trafficker and organised criminal charged by the AFP ensures our communities are safer,” he said.

Mr Kershaw claims “personalised drug use” was a misleading concept given the fallout from a person’s decision to take drugs.

He will point to the horrific death of four children from the Abdallah and Sakr families at Oatlands in 2020 to make his point.

“The Sydney driver, now jailed for killing those four children, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit but also cocaine and MDMA in his system at the time of the crash.

“There is no concept of personalised use of drugs because one user’s actions can have far-reaching consequences for those around them – loved ones or strangers.”

He said taking criminal kingpins off our streets was akin to protecting children and frontline health staff.

“First responders and our frontline workers – whether they are police, nurses, doctors, paramedics and teachers

– should be able to go to work without being violently assaulted by an uncontrollable addict ” he said.

Drugs breed victims

Certain people cling to the idea that drug use is a victimless crimes. The only people disadvantaged by drug use, they claim, are the drugusers themselves.

People of this view often use those lines to advocate reduced sentences for drug offences and the decriminalising of drug use.

But Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw is having absolutely none of it – and he has the evidence to support his rational position.

“There are too many cases where children are going hungry or neglected because their parents are continuously feeding their addiction,” Commissioner Kershaw will tell the National Press Club today.

“As a society, we have to ensure parents are not buying meth over milk.”

The children of meth addicts are victims, absolutely tragic victims, of their parents’ drug use. Likewise, the families and friends of those who allow themselves to become addicted are also victims.

So too are those targeted by drug addicts who steal.

Misery radiates from drug addicts like ripples in a pond.

American Beauty star Mena Suvari reveals she struggled with meth addiction - after turning to the drug to 'numb' the pain of repeated sexual abuse and rape that she endured as a young actress

I heard unsubstantiated rumours that smoking is barred in prisons. I doubt that it is true.

Off the street and letting them dry out without help.

Do this a few times and they may just realise that it hurts a lot and then stop it.

The victims (the children) suffer at the hands of these creeps.

Drug pushers (anyone with over 5 grams) should be shot on the spot and their bodies thrown to pigs for disposal.

Mattyfisk wrote on Jul 28^th, 2021 at 1:14pm:


No alcohol. No smokes. No illicit drugs. Drug out those criminals who spend more than 6 months in prison. Perhaps they can come out of prison sober, drug free and have a new outlook on life. I hope they have a library available for them to whittle away the days they spend in prison.

Mattyfisk wrote on Jul 28^th, 2021 at 3:14pm:


I should not ask. But, I do not see what that has to do with anything I wrote. No alcohol in prison will help sober up alcoholics. No drugs will dry out the addicts. Smokers might quit smoking. Get these arseholes to quit their addictions in prison. Maybe, they won't be arseholes after they get out into the public afterwards.