Perth rated among most dangerous cities

PERTH’S methamphetamine epidemic has earnt it a listing alongside war-ravaged parts of Syria and South American cities ruled by notorious drug cartels as one of the most dangerous places on earth.

The Sun newspaper, the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain, made the outrageous claim in an online article titled Bad World.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi and WA Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan rubbished Perth’s inclusion yesterday, saying it was not based on fact.

The Sun claims WA suffers from “widespread crystal meth use”. It describes Perth’s meth scourge as a “dark secret” lurking far from the country’s famous tourist hotspots.

“Perth is the capital of Western Australia, the State with the worst crystal meth problem in the country,” the article says. “Crystal meth abuse Down Under has turned rural areas in Western Australia into what have been dubbed ‘Ice Towns’.

“Perth sees its hospitals filled with addicts who commit crimes to fund their habit.”

The article rates Perth alongside 10 other cities including Raqqa in Syria — which has been under the occupation of Islamic State since 2013.

It also includes Kiev in Ukraine where war has erupted, Mogadishu in Somalia which has been torn apart by decades of war and al-Qaida backed militant attacks, and San Pedro Sula in Honduras, where the murder rate is 173.6 per 100,000 people — the highest in the world.

“The world is a dangerous place and trouble can spring up, even in countries normally thought of as ‘safe’,” The Sun says.

Source: Perth rated among most dangerous cities | Perth Now