Reducing illicit drug use in Australia isn’t all about cutting supply

Despite the successful efforts of Australian law enforcement to seize drugs and target suppliers, the country’s latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program confirms that the use of ‘ice’ in particular has continued to rise significantly; Dr John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argues that data from the program should be used to guide strategy that focuses on cutting consumption and making communities safer.
The development of evidence-based strategies for dealing with illicit drugs has always been challenging for governments.

One of the most complicating factors is that a health issue, addiction, has been criminalised to combat those seeking to profit from the misery that it brings. The global criminalisation of the illicit drug trade and drug use reduces the visibility of the scale and scope of the problem.

Lees verder via policinginsight.com