• Josh Sweeney, Jason Payne
• Australian Institute of Criminology

Read the full text

Image: iambents/flickr

25 August 2011Offenders with complex drug dependencies involving two or more drug types comprise a substantial proportion of drug court and drug diversion clients, yet evaluation studies have demonstrated that these offenders often have poorer retention rates and higher post-program reoffending rates. Poly drug use also has implications for police and law enforcement agencies, as users are potentially a more diversified group whose varied patterns of use makes them more resilient to illicit drug market fluctuations. For these reasons, understanding the nature and extent of poly drug use, especially among those who come into contact with the criminal justice system, will help agencies develop more targeted programs and policing strategies that seek to minimise the impact of drug use in their communities.

Using data from Australia’s most comprehensive survey of drug use among detainees, the 2009 collection of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, it was shown that nearly a third of detainees reporting using two or more drugs in the 30 days prior to being detained. Cannabis was the primary drug used by 48 percent of detainees, followed by heroin (19%) and amphetamines (17%). Binary logistic models show that poly drug users are almost twice as likely as single drug users to self report the receipt of income from both drug dealing and other illegal sources, irrespective of any differences between frequency and type of drug used.

Photo: iambents/flickr