The Pacific 'drug highway' has spilled over into domestic markets for illicit drug consumption and production in the Pacific Islands region. This analysis identifies the key trends and dynamics driving the drug market in the Pacific and the implications for societies, traditional power structures and...

In Australia, threshold quantities of illicit drugs act as an indicator of supply offences in distinguishing traffickers from users. This analysis maps out how current sentencing practices respond to offenders involved in ‘social supply’ and ‘minimally commercial supply’ who are charged with drug trafficking.

This report uses existing quantitative and qualitative data to better understand the segmentation of Australia’s heroin and methamphetamine markets and the markets’ transnational connections. The authors also examine the profits made by criminal actors at each level of Australia’s vertically integrated illicit drug supply chains.

Treating drug-related offenders is far more effective than sending them to prison, according to this research. The researchers compared re-offending rates among Drug Court participants with offenders who had been deemed eligible for the Drug Court but not placed on it. Offenders were followed up...

Drawing on the Global Policing Database (GPD), this review assesses the impact of supplier arrests and seizures on drug crime, drug use, drug price, drug purity and drug harm outcomes.

This updated review uses the Global Policing Database (GPD) to capture evaluations of the impact of street-level law enforcement interventions on drug crime and drug-related calls-for-service. The GPD is an online searchable database designed to capture all published and unpublished experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluations...

This document forms the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service's (VALS) submission to the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into the use of cannabis in Victoria (2020).

This inquiry examined ways to reduce the number of people flowing through Queensland’s prison system, whilst improving outcomes for the broader community. This final report outlines the Queensland Productivity Commission's findings.

In its 16th year, the Illicit Drug Data Report 2017–18 (IDDR) provides an authoritative picture of illicit drugs in Australia. It continues to inform policy and operational decisions across government, industry and the not-for-profit sector and focuses efforts to reduce the impact of illicit drugs...

This report analyses the last thirty years of over-incarceration in closed settings, from prisons to migrant administrative detention and from mandatory treatment to private rehabilitation centers. The paper highlights the responsibility of the State towards people who are incarcerated, and demonstrates how their health and...

The latest report from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program, the nation’s largest and longest running ongoing survey of police detainees, describes drug use, drug market participation and the extent to which detainees’ alleged offences were related to drug or alcohol use. Data was...

This report examines the health and social harms caused or worsened by current drug policies. It is the result of an unprecedented Australia21 collaboration between experts in drug law, drug treatment and community welfare.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid prescribed for severe pain that can also be used for non-medical purposes. Recent data suggest the extent of fentanyl use varies across Australia, with elevated consumption levels in some regional areas.

This report shows that drug markets in Australia remain resilient, with enduring demand for illicit drugs, particularly illicit stimulants - a clear sign that the 'war on drugs' will never work and a more rational, health-based approach is required from law enforcement agencies and political...

This publication provides crime data over a ten-year period for Victoria’s local government areas (LGAs) with a brief overview for the whole of Victoria. The data is derived from Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), as recorded by Victoria Police and extracted from the Victoria Police...

In this report, the Council analysed trends for offences of possession or use of small quantities of illicit drugs sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2017. The Council sought to identify shifts in the drug types minor drug offenders...

Drug law reform is an incredibly complex area of public policy. This is due to the interweaving nature of the relevant issues and the challenges arising from drug use and its consequences. This complexity is also due to conflicting views about how best to address...

This report confirms that access to rehabilitation services remains the dominant concern for prisoners and former prisoners struggling with addiction.

This report's focus is on law enforcement, or supply reduction measures to address crystal methamphetamine (ice) use in Australia.

Proposes a new model drug law for New Zealand.

This report shows the international mail stream continues to account for the greatest proportion of the number of illicit drug detections at the Australian border.

This study supports previous findings that diversion for minor cannabis offences can save money and lead to better social consequences.

This study compares perceptions of police and policing and willingness to cooperate with police in a population-based sample of young adult amphetamine-type stimulant users and non-users, using both quantitative and qualitative data.

This paper examines the demographics of methamphetamine users and their employment, education and health outcomes.

Senior police, prison officers and lawyers are standing side-by-side with drug users calling for law reform, to bring an end to killing and criminalising young Australians. Drug-related deaths, diseases, injuries, crimes and social costs continue to rise despite more than 80,000 consumer arrests in Australia...