ILLICIT DRUG USE COMPARISONS ARE ESSENTIAL

The recent report by the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime has compared Swedish illicit drug use with the other European countries.

Illicit drug use patterns by teenagers (15-16), the general population (18-64) and military conscripts over a time period was collected.

The comparisons reviewed illicit drug by each group within the past month, the past year and ever used during a lifetime and compared these with similar groups in other countries.

Sweden had substantially lower illicit drug usage rates in all categories of age groups in 2004 than any other European country.

(Source: Sweden’s Successful Drug Policy: A Review of the Evidence, September 2006 available at www.unodc.org)

The Drug Advisory Council of Australia Comments

Australia must compare drug use patterns for teenagers and the general population to show how high our drug use is compared to Sweden.

Comparisons are essential to determine Australian experience and to set drug policy objectives to reduce the number of illicit drug users.

Australian drug use comparisons should select the same criteria as used in Sweden in order to determine drug use trends over time and the success of Australian campaigns in reducing the number of drug users.

Sweden and Europe are good models for drug use comparisons as they have similar societies, economies and democratic systems as Australia.

A comparison of illicit drug use between Australia and Sweden will show Australian drug use is FIVE TIMES HIGHER than Sweden.

Sweden’s policy of using its courts to divert illicit drug users into detoxification and rehabilitation programs that get users drug free should be copied by Australia.

THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-

More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.

Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.

Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.

6/2007