We’ve now got clear evidence that drug checking changes behaviour in real time. People discard their drugs. They use less. They avoid risky combinations. They have conversations about drugs with a health professional for the first time. So why are we still treating it like an experiment? The short answer isn’t evidence. It’s politics. Because drug checking sits

August 2024 In 2022, 2,356 people across Australia died from drug overdose, with 79.7% of these deaths being unintentional. Australia’s National Drug Strategy 2017–2026 is designed to take a balanced approach across three pillars: Demand reduction, supply reduction, and harm reduction. But Australia’s expenditure on drug policy tells a different story. Spending on law enforcement dominates Australia’s drug budget, accounting for 64.3% of spending.

August 2023 The new AIHW report reanalysing a range of drug trend indicator data over the past 10 years was released this month. Since 2001 there has been yearly increases in the use of cocaine. Between 2001 and 2019, cocaine use in Australia more than tripled. In 2019, 4.2% of Australians had used cocaine in

Alcohol is Australia’s most widely consumed drug, with 35.9% of the population drinking weekly and 5.2% daily. Among recent drinkers, about 1 in 10 are at a high risk of alcohol dependence. The health harms of alcohol consumption are often discussed, but less so is the role played by alcohol in domestic violence in Australia.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Australia. About 42% of Australians over 18 have tried cannabis at some time in their life and 11.6% have used it in the past 12 months. Cannabis use and young people Most people who use cannabis are adults. One in four (25.5%) people aged 18–24 have