Illicit drug use in Australia: Difference between revisions

Illicit drug use in Australia began in earnest in Australia in the sixties.^{[citation needed]} In Sydney it was focused around the Kings Cross area, which was a hot spot for tourists and members of various international armed forces on leave. Heroin became immensely popular at this time, and it was smuggled into the country from South East Asia. Prior to this time, drugs had been a part of the history of Kings Cross, as in the twenties, various gangs known as the Razor Gangs fought to control the profits from the distribution of cocaine.

The climate of Australia made it easy to grow marijuana, and it also became popular in the sixties, particularly amongst the surfing community and the wider hippie movement, along with LSD and other hallucinogens. Over the next few decades, other illicit drugs became available in Australia, especially methamphetamines and ecstasy.

Australia is currently experiencing what is being referred to as the heroin drought, with high grade heroin being rare on the streets^[1]. As a result of this, many other illicit drugs have risen and fallen in popularity to fill this void, with prescription temazepam, morphine, oxycodone, methamphetamine and cocaine all being used as a substitute ^[2]. Temazepam abuse continues to be a problem, despite a significant decrease in prescriptions. Authorities blame the rising abuse of temazepam on the illicit manufacture of the drug in Eastern Europe and Asia. From Eastern Europe and China, it is smuggled into Australia and other parts of the world. 2008 has seen a reversal of this trend, with the arrival of Afghan heroin being seen in Sydney for the first time ever ^[3]. In 2001, the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre opened in Kings Cross. It was opened on the recommendation of the Wood Royal Commission. Prior to this, several venues such as strip clubs or brothels in Kings Cross rented out rooms to injecting drug users so that they could have a private and safe place to inject. This practice went on with unofficial approval by the police, as it kept injecting drug use off the streets and in the one area. This further allowed criminal activity to profit off illicit drug use, as many venue owners would sell rooms and drugs. The Wood Royal Commission identified that while there were benefits to these illegal shooting galleries, allowing police to cooperate with illegal activities could encourage corruption, it suggested an independent medical facility to continue providing safety for the users, and safety for the public by lessening the impact of drug use the streets, such as discarded needles or drug related deaths. ^[4]

Australia has been at the forefront of drug policy around the world. In the eighties, it was one of the first countries to enact the threefold policies of harm prevention, supply prevention and harm minimisation.

Harm prevention attempts to stop people from engaging in dangerous drug taking activities, through abstinence-based education as well policies and programs that deal with issues that lead people to start using illicit drugs.

Supply prevention is more of a law and order issue, as it focuses on stopping drugs from hitting the streets. It involves border security, Customs and prosecuting people involved in the trafficking of illicit substances.

Harm minimisation is a policy that is a safety net to the preceding two policies. The threefold model accepts that harm prevention and supply prevention will never be completely effective, and if people are involved in risky activities, the damage they cause to themselves and society at large should be minimised. It involves programs like needle & syringe programs and safe injecting sites, which aim to prevent the spread of disease or deaths from overdoses, while providing users with support to reduce or stop using drugs.

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