Media Releases and Communiques
Governments welcome reports on heroin shortage
Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for law enforcement, police and health have welcomed a comprehensive report on the causes and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia.
12th November 2004
Joint Communique
Governments Welcome Report on Heroin Shortage
Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for law enforcement, police and health have welcomed a comprehensive report on the causes and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia.At a meeting of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy (MCDS) held today in Brisbane, Ministers were presented with a report, funded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund and conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre,
which showed that the heroin shortage in Australia since 2001 was due in large part to the role of law enforcement.
Ministers agreed that the report affirms supply reduction as an integral component of a comprehensive policy approach that aims to reduce the demand for drugs as well as the harms that arise from drug use.
The report found that since 2001 there has been a significant reduction in heroin overdoses and reduced injecting drug use.
Of concern, though, is that many people took up other forms of drug use, but the research suggests that younger, less-entrenched users ceased using heroin and may have dropped out of the market entirely and others sought treatment.
Ministers agreed that it was important to continue the focus on seeing drug addiction as a health issue which will continue to require a comprehensive range of harm reduction and rehabilitation approaches. While law enforcement can reduce the availability of illegal drugs, it can’t be expected to eliminate drug use and drug related harm.
Launching the report, Northern Territory Assistant Commissioner Mark Payne, who is Chair of the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, said the take home message from the report is that the activities of the law enforcement sector, such as illicit drug supply reduction strategies, make a substantial contribution towards the achievements of the objectives of Australia’s National Drug Strategy.
“In doing so, law enforcement is able to help create an environment that is more conducive to harm reduction and demand reduction activities across the various sectors involved in responding to illicit drugs,” Assistant Commissioner Payne said.
The report, Causes, Course and Consequences of the Heroin Shortage in Australia, is expected to attract international attention and recognition of Australia’s integrated approach to tackling illicit drug problems.
The report is available on www.ag.gov.au (search the Criminal Justice Division part of the website)
Media contact: Kay McNiece, Media Liaison, MCDS 0412 132 585
