By RUSSELL BENNETT
A NARRE Warren builder giving his workers ice at the start of every day to ensure the maximum level of productivity out of them.
A young footballer in the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) who was bringing $8000 of the drug per week into Warragul.
A junior basketballer who was caught with $20,000 cash and $20,000 worth of ice.
And a young Warragul family of five who spent over $50,000 in 12 months on ice staying on a bed together for an entire week because the mother and father had drug-induced hallucinations of giant spiders.
These are just four examples of the effects of ice in the local community presented to young footballers, netballers and their parents at a special presentation at the Nar Nar Goon Football Club on Thursday.
Victoria Police Leading Senior Constable Kevin McLaren and former 246-game Collingwood premiership star Gavin Crosisca – a self-confessed recovering alcoholic and drug addict – exposed the brutal reality of the drug epidemic in one of 17 scheduled sessions in a wide range of clubs across the region.
It was part of Gippsland Footy’s ‘Fight Against Ice’ initiative, which is taking place over the next three months.
Nar Nar Goon’s Spencer Street rooms were packed with senior and junior football and netball players, their parents, and club officials and they were all hit right between the eyes with the reality of ice.
“On my way here, we had a job at Maffra where a guy wanted us to shoot him,” Sen Const McLaren said.
“We get that every day.
“(People) can’t cope with what’s inside their heads and they figure the cheapest way to do it is to get a copper to come along and shoot them.”
Sen Const McLaren spoke about his experience dealing with drug-affected people going through psychotic or hallucinatory episodes, and also those who appear to be functioning normally.
“These are what we call crank bugs,” he told the packed room while pointing to an extremely graphic photograph.
“This is what happens to serious users when they try to get the toxins out of their skin – they’ll scratch away at themselves.
“We had a nurse at the Warragul hospital – 31 years of age and who had a 13-year-old son – (who) we processed for dealing ice.
“We went back about a month later and processed her again – dealing with the same issue. The reason she was dealing is so she could afford to use the drug, herself.”
Sen Const McLaren also warned of the dangers of taking a drug with a purity level that could easily kill, and also other substances that included a horrendous list of ingredients such as acetone, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, methylated spirits, Sudafed, caustic soda, cloudy ammonia, and lithium batteries.
“All those sorts of things are thrown in to make the drugs, or to make more of it,” he said.
The 17 clubs across Gippsland are hosting forums involving AFL Gippsland, Victoria Police, GippSport, and the Australian Community Support Organisation over the next few months.
Gippsland Footy’s Fight Against Ice is supported by the Victorian State Government as part of the ‘Ice Action Plan’.
Pick up a copy of this week’s paper and turn to the Football liftout for more on Mr Crosisca’s personal struggle with marijuana and amphetamines, and alcohol abuse.
Dates for the remaining information sessions:
Fish Creek – 9 June
Mirboo North – 23 June
Kooweerup – 23 June
Glengarry – 30 June
Stony Creek – 7 July
Phillip Island – 14 July
Bunyip – 21 July
Warragul – 4 August
Sale City – 4 August
Hill End – 11 August
