The Australian Bite

A rock ‘n’ roll life from behind a lens

18 April 2009

Listen and download: MP3

Disturbing news on this week’s Australian Bite, with evidence that an influx of heroin into Australia is leading to an increase in heroin overdoses.  And on a lighter note, we meet veteran rock ‘n’ roll photographer Tony Mott, who talks about his 25 years taking photos of the best, brightest, and strangest stars in the business.

Increase in heroin overdoses a worrying trend

Global opium production has now reached record levels, and has increased by over one hundred per cent in the period 1998-2007. Meanwhile in Australia, an increase in heroin use has led to a record number of overdoses at Sydney’s medically-supervised drug injecting room in King’s Cross. So experts in the field are now very concerned that the number of deaths caused by heroin overdose – currently averaging at around one per day – could be about to rise. Reporter Tom Tilley went down to Kings Cross – Sydney’s red light district – to find out more from both drug users and professionals in the field.

In this report:  Heroin user “Michael”; Dr Marianne Jauncey from the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre; Dr Gordian Fulde, Director of the emergency ward at Sydney’s St Vincent’s hospital; and Associate Professor Robert Ali from the Australian National Council on Drugs.

See Tom Tilley’s ABC news report here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/17/2518884.htm

and Tom’s report with photos on Triple j’s “Hack” radio program webpage here:  http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/notes/s2520539.htm

Some facts on global opium production according to the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD):

• Global opium production has now reached record levels… globally opium production has increased by 102% in the period 1998-2007.
• Opium cultivation in South East Asia has increased by 22% after 6 years in decline. Most of this was through a 29% increase in Myanmar (Burma) to 27,700 hectares.
• 51% of the world’s heroin users are in Asia – reflecting the fact that opium consumption is still widespread across the Asian region.
• 80% of global opiate seizures in 2006 were made in Asia… 69% of them were in South West Asia. 
• The number of border detections of heroin in 2006/07 was the highest on record. 
• In 2006/07 the weight of heroin seizures in Australia increased by 192%. In essence, the amount of heroin seized in Australian in 2006/07 doubled from the previous year.

More info on drug issues in Australia can be found at the ANCD homepage:  http://www.ancd.org.au/

If you’re interested in finding out more about Sydney’s Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC), it’s homepage is here: http://www.sydneymsic.com/
 

A rock’n'roll life from behind a lens

Veteran Australian photographer Tony Mott started out taking photos of some of Australia’s best pub rock bands back in the early eighties – and he never looked back. He’s toured with the Rolling Stones, and taken photos of international artists including Bob Dylan, Madonna, Coldplay and U2, as well as Australian artists including Nick Cave, Midnight Oil, Kasey Chambers, the Drones . . . the list goes on and on. Tony Mott was recently in Melbourne, where he presented a slide show of some of his work and kept the audience captivated with some great stories.   I caught up with him after the show.

 You can see more of Tony’s photos on his website: http://www.tonymott.com/

Music (not in podcast)

Midnight Oil – “Power and the Passion”
A classic track released in 1983 by one of Australia’s best ever rock bands.
Artist: Midnight Oil
Track: Power and the Passion
Album: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Silverchair – “Tomorrow”
“Tomorrow” was Australian rock outfit Silverchair’s their breakthrough single from their debut album Frogstomp, which they recorded when they were all 15 years old, and released in 1995. The single and the album both shot to number one on the Australian charts – in fact Frogstomp became the first album to enter the Australian charts at number one, and “Tomorrow” went on to become Australia’s fourth-biggest-selling single ever.
Artist: Silverchair
Track: Tomorrow
Album: Frogstomp