CHILDREN as young as 14 are becoming addicted to ice, some at the hands of their own parents, and police south of Brisbane are desperate to break the cycle.
The Logan Child Protection Investigation Unit has seen a 10 per cent increase in methamphetamine-related cases this year and have launched an operation to reduce the devastating impact of ice on children.
Det Fletcher has seen some children so high they have not slept for three days and even parents supplying their own kids with drugs.
He said the habit is putting their lives at risk and is creating a “deep ripple effect” in the community, fuelling other serious crimes.
“They’re frying their brains basically,” he said.
Children are suffering at the hands of their drug addicted parents.
Acting detective senior sergeant Damian Cotter said the newly-launched Operation Velodrome was also to help curb the number of children being neglected by their ice-addicted parents.
“We’re seeing pure neglect where families are going without so the parents can get more ice,” act det sen sgt Cotter said.
“In one case police attended a welfare check on a family with very young children that on a number of occasions have been so drug affected they haven’t even been able to be woken.”
He believes the cost and availability is what is driving the prevalence of ice across the country.
“The accessibility has increased exponentially and the price has decreased, which is a bad combination,” act det sen sgt Cotter said.
In the 2017/18 financial year, police seized 47kg of ice and busted 139 drug labs in Queensland.
The Government’s newly announced campaign will target cutting supply and will be matched with a new Ice Help campaign to treat those addicted to the drug.
Ms Farmer said almost one in three children who come into the care of the Department of Child Safety had a parent who had used methamphetamine.
If you have any information, call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
