Reformed ice addicts are visiting schools across the country to share with teenagers the ugly reality of drug use.
The educators, who belong to a group called Australian Anti Ice Campaign, have been conducting two-and-a-half hour sessions covering everything from what ingredients make up the drug to what your teeth will look like.
Andrea Simmons was a successful businesswoman with a growing property portfolio.
She was 40 years old when a partner she thought she ‘trusted’ offered her ice as a way to relax
As she spiralled deeper into addiction, Ms Simmons told the students during one particular lesson that she ‘lost everything she’d ever had in life’
She was 40 years old when a partner she thought she ‘trusted’ offered her ice as a way to relax. At the time she didn’t even know it was a drug.
As she spiralled deeper into addiction, Ms Simmons told the students during one particular lesson that she ‘lost everything she’d ever had in life.’
‘I sold my two houses, pawned all of my jewellery, maxed out my credit cards, sold my Mercedes – I had been a business person, I raised two children, made my first million at 21, but it just ate everything,’ she told Daily Mail Australia previously.
Faced with the reality: Students were being shown pictures of ice addicts during the session
The pupils were very interested in Ms Simmons’ speech, particularly when it came to the ingredients list
‘You’re going to get depression, anxiety, psychosis… it’s a really scary journey and I don’t wish it on my worst enemy,’ she said on A Current Affair.
And while she is one of the two percent who manages to recover from ice addiction, and stay clean, she has noticed dealers becoming sneakier in their methods of selling to school-aged children.
‘It is being given out to kids in school, in sample bags, and they’re telling the girls they’re going to lose four kilos on a weekend,’ she said.
The Australian Anti Ice Campaign is working to dispel some of those myths with cold, hard facts. One of which is what’s in the drug.
‘It is being given out to kids in school, in sample bags, and they’re telling the girls they’re going to lose four kilos on a weekend,’ she said
Many of the children admitted to being ‘dumbfounded’ when they found out the ingredients list
‘Drano is a base for ice. You wouldn’t eat this,’ she told students, waving around a tub of the cleaning product.
Many of the children admitted to being ‘dumbfounded’ when they found out the ingredients list.
They commented that Ms Simmon’s talk had encouraged them to avoid drugs and help their friends if anything untoward happens to them.
A Current Affair viewers were quick to praise the segment, and wanted to government to make these kind of sessions compulsory in high schools.
‘Great education. As a reformed alcoholic/drug addicted individual educating the young mob before they use it is fantastic,’ one man wrote on Twitter.
‘Good on these ex druggies, telling our kids the ugly truth. They are to be commended, and should get government funding to keep doing it,’ another added.