title: Ice and the outback: Patterns and prevalence of methamphetamine use in rural Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether lifetime and recent methamphetamine use (including crystal methamphetamine) differed among city, regional and rural residents and whether particular subpopulations were more at-risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analyses of the last three National Drug Strategy Household Surveys and corresponding Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Sets (AODTS NMDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Australian general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Australians who completed the 2007 (n = 22 519), 2010 (n = 25 786) and 2013 (n = 23 512) NDSHS (aged 14 + ); and treatment episodes where the principal drug of concern was recorded in the 2006/2007 (n = 139 808), 2009/2010 (n = 139 608) and 2012/2013 (n = 154 489) AODTS NMDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine whether rural Australians were more likely to use methamphetamine than non-rural counterparts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lifetime and recent methamphetamine and recent crystal methamphetamine use were significantly higher among rural than other Australians. Significantly more rural men and employed rural Australians used methamphetamine than their city, regional or Australian counterparts. Rural Australians aged 18-24 and 25-29 years were significantly more likely to have used methamphetamine in their lifetime than city or Australian residents. Rural Australians aged 18-24 years were significantly more likely to have recently used crystal methamphetamine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions tailored to address the specific and unique circumstances of rural settings are required to reduce and prevent methamphetamine use, particularly crystal methamphetamine. Scope exists to focus prevention efforts on rural workplaces and primary care settings. Greater understanding of the higher prevalence of methamphetamine use in rural areas is required, plus implementation of comprehensive strategies and optimised treatment utilisation.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McEntee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008694:Methamphetamine
keywords: crystal methamphetamine; drug treatment; drug use; ice; methamphetamine; rural