SOUTH-WEST police are worried ice addicts are being attracted to cheap heroin which is reportedly flooding the Western District drug market.
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Police sources said ice addicts often used a combination of other drugs as they came down from ice, which is classed as a stimulant.
Heroin, cannabis and Valium are relaxants which allow ice addicts to sleep and overcome the compounding effects of crystal methylamphetamine.
Warrnambool undercover police raided a west Warrnambool address in February this year and found heroin.
Hamilton police said anecdotally heroin was enjoying a resurgence because it was cheap and helped ice addicts come down from their drug of choice.
It’s understood police in other regional centres have identified the narcotic as increasing in popularity on the streets.
Western Region Alcohol and Drug centre director Geoff Soma said that statistics showed a small number of clients were using heroin.
"What's common these days is that people will use whatever is available," he said.
"Methamphetamine like substances are a stimulant and people bring themselves down with a whole range of drugs including prescription medication such as Valium and Oxycontin."
Mr Soma said the statistics usually reflected what was available on the streets.
"The tricky bit is that we see a range of people who are self-medicating for a number of reason,” he said
“Some users are dependent, some people are experimenting and some may be approaching treatment services because of court orders or they are pursuing rehabilitation options.
"Many people are just trying to keep their heads down and avoid attention.
“People using multiple drugs can be experiencing mental health issues and that can certainly be a major concern for the individuals and their families."
On Thursday afternoon Warrnambool police ran an operation on Raglan Parade in east Warrnambool, outside Deakin University, targeting drug and alcohol affected drivers.
About a dozen police officers were involved, pulling over drivers and submitting them to preliminary tests.
Senior Sergeant Russell Tharle said police would continue to run random operations across the south-west in a bid to ensure a positive police presence in the region.
