More than half of injecting drug users in the ACT are using the drug ice, a new study has found.
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The report from the University of NSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre revealed that 57per cent of injecting drug users had used crystal methamphetamine - or ice - in the previous six months, up from 48 per cent at the same time in 2010.
The report's author, Lucy Burns, said ice users experienced a wide range of damaging symptoms in both the short and long term.
''You get psychotic symptoms in a quarter [dose] and an increas-ed potential for violence,'' she said.
The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT executive officer Carrie Fowlie said that it was concerning that frontline workers were still seeing unsafe injecting behaviour among ice and other drug users in Canberra. Ms Fowlie said she would like to see more safe injecting-room facilities.
But Josephine Baxter, of Drug Free Australia, said that providing safe injecting facilities exacerbated the problem. ''It can even encourage [drug] experimentation,'' she said.
Anyone struggling with drug problems can contact the Alcohol and Drug Service on 62079977.