Petition Ice Epidemic and the Prescription of Schedule 8 Medicines

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council the issue of Australia’s ice epidemic, which is driven by individuals self-medicating undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Many individuals suffering from undiagnosed ADHD are spending their entire Centrelink payment purchasing methamphetamine via the illicit market at vastly inflated prices.

These prices are directly related to increasing rates of theft and burglary, crimes which individuals are committing to fund their methamphetamine addiction.

The illegal methamphetamine purchased with taxpayers’ money and with the proceeds of property crime, is an unregulated substance often cut with poisonous chemicals which cause harmful side effects.

Article 25 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to adequate medical care.

Access to medicines used to treat ADHD, constitutes a human right to adequate medical care.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to amend Part 2, Division 1 of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017, allowing general practitioners of medicine in Victoria to prescribe Schedule 8 Medicines to drug dependent patients in order to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).