The highest ranking police officer in the Tweed/Byron local area command has denied reports that there is an ‘ice’ epidemic in Byron Bay.
Superintendent Wayne Starling has issued a statement saying there was no evidence to support claims of an epidemic.
His comments came on the eve of the ‘Breaking the Ice Byron Community Forum’, which is being hosted by the BUDDI Community Action Drug Team.
The forum is just one a series of forums that have been held in centres across New South Wales, but Byron appears to have been singled out by some media including the Sydney Morning Herald and the tabloid A Current Affair television show.
Supt Starling said the statistics showed that the ‘epidemic’ claim was false.
‘This year police have conducted 861 person searches and have also executed various search warrants within Byron Bay with only 7 persons having been detected possessing ‘ICE’,’ Supt Starling said.
‘Most of the local community within the Byron Bay area have a close relationship with their police and when concerns are raised by the community in respect to drugs they are investigated.
‘In stating this the drug ‘Ice’ is used within many communities across Australia and sadly has impacted adversely on many individuals and families.
‘People under the influence of ice pose a risk to themselves and others including your police.
‘Your police look forward to working with our community to address illicit drug use and if anyone has information if they could contact either their local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800333000.’
Meanwhile, BUDDI Community Drug Action team leader Nicqui Yazdi said sensationalist media reporting perpetuated fear.
‘The truth is that Byron statistics are relatively low, in comparison to other areas around here, such as Lismore,’ she said.
‘Byron does of course, just like any other town in Australia, have a presence of those addicted to or misusing ice, but it is not our primary drug problem, which of course is alcohol.’
‘The Breaking the Ice Forum in Byron hopes to give our community a better understanding of the health and welfare implications of ice and other drugs, what help is available, what works and how you go about assisting those with drug problems.
‘This is not a forum about the ‘horrors’ of drugs, it is a forum about hope for recovery and about how to create helpful actions from communities.
‘We also want to give people the truth about ice and other drugs and not the hyped up, sensationalist untruths that are so often given out in national media stories and then mistakingly believed by so many who see or read these types of headline grabbing and unhelpful stories. ‘
The forum will be held today at the Byron Services Club from 5.30pm-9pm.
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