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Aims To identify trajectories of heroin use in Australia, predictors of trajectory group membership and subsequent outcomes among people with heroin dependence over 10-11 years. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Sydney, Australia. Participants A total of 615 participants were recruited between 2001 and 2002 as part of the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (66.2% male; mean age 29 years). The predominance of the cohort (87.0%) was recruited upon entry to treatment (maintenance therapies, detoxification and residential rehabilitation), and the remainder from non-treatment settings (e.g. needle and syringe programmes). This analysis focused upon 428 participants for whom data on heroin use were available over 10-11 years following study entry. Measurements Structured interviews assessed demographics, treatment history, heroin and other drug use, overdose, criminal involvement, physical health and psychopathology. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to: (i) identify trajectory groups based on use of heroin in each year, (ii) examine predictors of group membership and (iii) examine associations between trajectory group membership and 10-11-year outcomes. Findings Six trajectory groups were identified [Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) = -1927.44 ( n = 4708); −1901.07 ( n = 428)]. One in five (22.1%) were classified as having 'no decrease' in heroin use, with the probability of using remaining high during the 10-11 years (> 0.98 probability of use in each year). One in six (16.1%) were classified as demonstrating a 'rapid decrease to maintained abstinence'. The probability of heroin use among this group declined steeply in the first 2-3 years and continued to be low (< 0.01). The remaining trajectories represented other fluctuating patterns of use. Few baseline variables were found to predict trajectory group membership, but group membership was predictive of demographic, substance use and physical and mental health outcomes at 10-11 years. Conclusions Long-term trajectories of heroin use in Australia appear to show considerable heterogeneity during a decade of follow-up, with few risk factors predicting group membership. Just more than a fifth continued to use at high levels, while fewer than a fifth become abstinent early on and remained abstinent. The remainder showed fluctuating patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Electronic tracking systems (ETS) are used extensively in pharmacies across the United States and Australia to control suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine. This study measures the impact of one ETS-Project STOP-on the capacity of police to reduce production, supply and possession of methamphetamine. Design Using official police data of incidents of production, supply and possession from January 1996 to December 2011 ( n = 192 data points/months over 16 years), we used a quasi-experimental, time-series approach. Setting The State of Queensland, Australia. Participants No individual participants are included in the study. The unit of analysis is reported police incidents. Measurements The study examines the impact of the ETS on production ( n = 5938 incidents), drug supply and trafficking ( n = 20 094 incidents) and drug possession or use ( n = 118 926) of methamphetamine. Findings Introduction of the ETS in November 2005 was associated with an insignificant decrease ( P = 0.15) in the production of methamphetamine. The intervention was associated with a statistically significant increase in supply incidents ( P = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant effect on the incidence of possession ( P = 0.59). Conclusions Electronic tracking systems can reduce the capacity of people to produce methamphetamine domestically, but seem unlikely to affect other aspects of the methamphetamine problem such as possession, distribution and importation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nexus between drug use and crime is well established. Offenders are considerably more likely to use illicit drugs than the general population, and a large proportion of offenders attribute their criminal offending to drug use, yet very little is known about how to respond effectively to drug problems among police detainees. Using data obtained through the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, this paper explores the readiness to change drug use and help-seeking intentions of Australian police detainees with drug problems. The analysis revealed those detainees most in need of drug treatment were also those most ready to change their drug use. The findings serve as a reminder of the need and desire for interventions for drug abuse among the police detainee population, and have implications for the development of intervention strategies aimed at reducing drug use among offender populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methamphetamine use among Australian police detainees is rising; the impact of this rise on crime trends, and particularly on trends in acquisitive crime, is yet to be established. Identifying trends in and motivations for offending among methamphetamine users may assist law enforcement and policymakers to better target resources. This paper examines the engagement in acquisitive crime, and perceived motivations for methamphetaminedriven crime, of a sample of Australian police detainees recruited in 2013 through the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program. Methamphetamine users reported deriving a significantly higher proportion of their income from crime than non-users. Logistic regression analysis reveals the use of methamphetamine, heroin and/or cannabis predicts engagement in acquisitive crime when other drug use and polydrug use is controlled for. In addition, methamphetamine users reported their use played a contributing role in their offending, most commonly through intoxication or the need for money to purchase drugs. The findings indicate recent methamphetamine use increases the risk of engagement in acquisitive offences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses whether Australian threshold quantities for drug trafficking are placing drug users at risk of unjustified sanction. Australia falls among minority of countries that specify quantities for distinguishing between drug offences with different penalty scales. Moreover, the specific threshold quantities employed vary by drug type, by jurisdiction and whether they are measured in terms of the pure chemical compound of a drug.

The article discusses the crime related to drug abuse in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) and the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program (DUMA), 66 percent of the police detainees showed positive test to at least on drug, in which 77 percent were female. It also focuses on developing the relationship between the use of drugs or alcohol and crime in the detainees. According to the report of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, between 42 to 44 percent of police-recorded assaults in Western Australia and New South Wales were alcohol related and 34 percent of violent offences are attributed to alcohol.

The article focuses on the High Court of Australia's cases Handlen v. The Queen and Paddison v. The Queen. It informs that the appellant in both cases were convicted by the Supreme Court of Queensland, for drug related offences including the importing of drugs into Australia. The appellants appealed to the High Court of Australia, wherein it was held that the proof of existence of the group exercise to import drugs into Australia was irrelevant to proof of the appellants' guilt.

The article presents a study regarding the use of poly drug among police detainees in Australia. The study examines the nature and extent of poly drug use, especially among those into contact with the criminal justice system. It explores the number of poly drug users, the type of drugs they use and how these patterns differ over time and between jurisdictions. It utilises data from the 2009 collection of Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program to achieve the results. The study revealed that the prevalence of poly drug use varies depending on how it is defined and calculated.

Abstract: Background: The dominant Australian approaches to understanding illicit drug marketplaces are surveillance and criminological research. These approaches rely on the elementary neoclassical economic model of the market which focuses primarily on supply and demand. In this paper, we draw on anthropological and sociological research to develop an alternative framework for understanding Australian illicit drug marketplaces that emphasises their constituent processes. Methods: The paper draws on two years of ethnographic research among heroin user/sellers of Vietnamese ethnicity in an Australian heroin marketplace. Results: Trade and barter were key modes of exchange in this marketplace. We identified active negotiation and bargaining over price on the basis of social relationships, with dealers and customers actively working to develop and maintain such ties. Dealers set price collectively and this was shaped by moral and cultural elements such as notions of a ‘fair’ price. Social processes and relations as well as shared cultural expectations helped to generate trust and maintain order in the marketplace. Conclusion: Our ethnographic research suggests that the dominant Australian approaches to the study of illicit drug markets, with their reliance on the elementary neoclassical economic market model, ignore the social processes and social relations through which such sites are made and remade. Nor do they adequately capture the complex character of the subjects who act within these sites. If we are to expand our understanding of illicit drug markets and marketplaces in Australia, we must look beyond the conceptions offered by surveillance and criminological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an Australian study which aims to determine the relationship between drug use and offending and the two factors of mental health and the experience of physical and sexual abuse during childhood. The article outlines gender differences in drug use and offending and offers information on the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program which collected data on the topic. Findings related to gender, drug use, and mental health are discussed.

This article questions conceptualisations and attributions that record the emergence of Australia's first national drug campaign as a necessary and inevitable governmental response to an escalating social problem around drug abuse. I argue that the proposal for, and subsequent establishment of, the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) in 1984-85 was contingent upon historically specific discourses and events in the lead up to the 1984 federal election that were not primarily or solely concerned with drug use or 'abuse' (as suggested by the campaign's title), but with perceptions of crime and governmental corruption, and the social and political anxiety these were generating. As such the NCADA was more an expression of political rather than health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims. To examine age-related differences in drug use and risk among regular injecting drug users (IDU) in Australia. Design and Methods. Cross-sectional data from the 2006 Illicit Drug Reporting System were examined for age-related differences in demographic characteristics, drug use history and current use patterns and self-reported risk behaviours. Results. IDU under 25 years of age were more likely to have initiated injecting at a younger age, to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, and to be injecting daily or more often than their older counterparts. They reported more frequent heroin use in the preceding 6 months, and were more likely to report morphine as the first drug injected than were IDU aged 35 years or over. Younger IDU were also more likely to report providing used needles to others, engaging in recent property crime and drug dealing and arrest in the last year. Conclusions. Younger IDU reported significantly different drug use patterns and higher rates of risk behaviours than their older counterparts. Treatment services need to ensure that harm and demand reduction services deliver messages to new cohorts of IDU, particularly given that their drug use patterns may be different to those of older users. [Degenhardt L, Kinner SA, Roxburgh A, Black E, Bruno R, Fetherston J, Fry CL. Drug use and risk among regular injecting drug users in Australia: does age make a difference?Drug Alcohol Rev 2008;27:357-360] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, this paper explores involvement in intimate partner violence, and provides first-time results from face-to-face interviews with a group of 1,597 police detainees. The study found that the levels of intimate partner violence are much higher among this group (49%) than is found from general population surveys. More than two-thirds of the detainees who were involved in partner violence reported being both a victim and a perpetrator in the past 12 months. This is consistent with other criminological research that finds that a large proportion of offenders often report having been victims of crime. Factors found to be significant risk markers for detainees' involvement in partner violence included prior arrest, drug and alcohol dependency, having dependent children, and experiencing physical abuse as a child. Although a greater percentage of female than male detainees reported being involved in partner violence, once these other risk factors were controlled for, gender was not found to be a significant risk marker among this sample. The paper discusses the policy implications of the findings, particularly the need for early intervention with at-risk families and where drug and alcohol dependency issues are emerging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the second prize winner of the Rosh Parish Essay Competition entitled "Freedom From Choice: The Government's Futile Quest to Take the Risk Out of Life," by John Humphreys. In his essay, Humphreys criticizes the drug prohibition of the government wherein, it has failed in its objectives while costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars.

The article discusses various programs which were designed to avert drug-using offenders from the criminal justice system to evaluation and treatment. The Council of Australian Governments Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative Framework developed in 1999, and the NSW Drug Summit which was held in 1999, offered significant impetus to the proliferation of drug interventions aimed to prevent or minimize crime in Australia.

This article presents information on the criminal case of Tabe v. The Queen concluded by the High Court of Australia on October 6, 2005. Illegal possession of drugs is involved in the case, in which Tabe was convicted pursuant to the Drugs Misuse Act 1986. On appeal, the High Court debated over the level of knowledge required to prove possession of the drugs.

The article presents a study administered by the Australian Institute of Criminology which focuses on the drug use careers of offenders (DUCO) among incarcerated women. It states that 470 women who were imprisoned in six jurisdictions in 2003 were involved in the DUCO study. It mentions that most of the respondents reported extensive drug histories. It highlights the factors which contribute to the drug use including early exposure to drug problems by family members, mental health problems and physical abuse. It suggests that treatment for female offenders must cover a wide range of issues including mental health services, drug and alcohol services and domestic violence treatment.

The article presents an analysis concerning the use of cocaine among individuals detained by police and interviewed for the Australian Institute of Criminology's (AIC) Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program. The analysis shows that the use of cocaine does not only occur in DUMA's sites in Sydney, New South Wales, but also in other areas. It shows that cocaine users are predominately multiple-drug users and are more likely to have had prior contact with the criminal justice system than non-cocaine users. Other information also include where does cocaine come from and how does it appear in the country, the number of people using the drug, and the characteristics of cocaine users.

The article presents a study published by the Australian Institute of Criminology which examines the illegal use of drugs in Australia by looking at the criminal careers of offenders. The study further looks at the links between illegal drugs and crime and explores on the wide range of offense types, the major legal and illegal drugs and offender information. It notes the surrounding factors on offenders of the drug abuse especially men and they include the reported low levels of education, the prior contact with the criminal justice system and the number of sentences they received. The article also reveals that there is engagement in one particular offense type by the offenders as well as the occurrence across a variety of offense typologies.

The article discusses the trends and issues of drug use and offending behaviour of women in crime and criminal justice in Australia. It presents Australian and international researched about the links of drug use and criminal behaviour of women. It describes the common risk factor of the activities, reviews key information, and researches on the drug use and offending patterns. It suggests the need for a national survey of women inmates' experience of drug use for policy purposes, especially the management of women through the criminal justice system, and drug treatment settings.

Explores the way young women use alcohol in social situations, their attitudes towards risk and safety in Australia. Increase in reports of drug assisted sexual assault; Description of the social experience for young women; Behavior and safety in social places; Perceptions of risk of spiked drinks.

The article presents a report published by Australian Institute of Criminology which examines some pattern of drug use in Australia, the association between drug use and offending and the characteristics of juvenile arrestees. It cites various data on young people's use of drugs, such as the specific drugs they are using, the police officers determination of the guilt of the offenders and the attributes that female offenders possess that are different from those of the males. Furthermore, the author investigates the prevalence of drug use among young people. Charts on the total percentage of substance being used are also presented in the article.

The article presents a comparative analysis on the characteristics of crime homicides, as well as robbery and robbery-homicide in Australia. It outlines the data sources that were used for the analysis including the National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) and the National Armed Robbery Monitoring program (NARMP). Findings of the comparative analysis of crime homicides and other homicides in Australia include the involvement of male offender, the underlying motives either drugs and money-related, and the involvement of weapons such as knife, firearms, and assaultive force. The study reveals that robbery homicides are different from robberies that do not lead to the death of the victim such as weapon instrumentality and seriousness of the offence.

Background: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in developed countries, and has a significant impact on mental and physical health in the general population. However, the validity of common diagnostic schemes and their applicability to cannabis abuse and dependence is poorly understood. This paper describes a confirmatory factor analysis of the DSM-IV cannabis abuse and dependence criteria, using general population data. Methods: Data from cannabis users (n=722) were obtained from a cross-sectional study of a large and representative sample of the Australian general population. The DSM-IV criteria for cannabis abuse and dependence were assessed using the CIDI-AUTO. Results: Approximately, one in 12 Australians (7.1%) had used cannabis more than five times in the past 12 months and 56.5% of these reported at least one DSM-IV cannabis abuse or dependence criteria. Within the adult population, 2.2% met criteria for a cannabis use disorder (0.7% abuse and 1.5% dependence). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that both a one- and two-factor model for cannabis use disorder provided an adequate fit to the data. However, the estimated correlation between the abuse and dependence factors in the two-factor model was extremely high (0.99). Conclusions: A one-factor model provided the most parsimonious model of the cannabis abuse and dependence criteria. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper provides a descriptive overview of options for diversion of drug-related offenders from the criminal justice system. Drug-related offences include drug offences (for example, possession of a prohibited substance); offences that are directly linked to intoxication (for example, drink-driving or assault); and offences committed to support drug use (for example, theft). After an offence has been detected by police, multiple opportunities for diversion occur throughout the criminal justice process. (a) Pre-arrest: when an offence is first detected, prior to a charge being laid. This is known as police diversion and includes fines, warnings and cautions, sometimes with educational information or referral to assessment and treatment. (b) Pre-trial: when a charge is made but before the matter is heard at court. Examples are treatment as a condition of bail, conferencing and prosecutor discretion. (c) Pre-sentence: a delay of sentence while assessment and treatment are sought. (d) Post-sentence: as part of sentencing, for example suspended sentences, drug courts, noncustodial sentences and circle sentencing. (e) Pre-release: prior to release from a sentence, on parole. Issues for diversion programmes include net widening, the ethics of coercion to treatment, the needs of families and intersectoral collaboration. A framework for diversion is presented in which increasingly treatment-focused and coercive diversion strategies are used as offenders' criminal careers and drug problems increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report administered by the Australian Institute of Criminology which focuses on the age of drug initiation. It states that individuals who abuse drugs earlier are more likely to have long term side effects. It highlights the findings of the study which revealed that the average beginning age for regular use of cannabis among sentenced property offenders is 14.7 and under 20 for heroin, amphetamines and cocaine. It is inferred that imposition of policies which reinforces education and prevention programs among young people is significant.

The prevalence of injecting drug use has increased significantly in Australia in recent years. Using the nationally representative 1998 National Drug Strategy Household Survey we estimate the size of the lifetime prevalence injecting drug use population at 302710 people, compared to 67474 in 1988. Those who have injected drugs in the previous year are estimated at 108750 people in 1998. Amphetamines have displaced heroin as the most popular drug to inject among the general population. Those who have ever injected are more likely to be male, young, unemployed and to possess fewer educational qualifications. A variety of factors are discussed which may account for increases in injecting drug use. \[McAllister I, Makkai T. The prevalence and characteristics of drug users in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2001;20:29-36]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement in property crime by drug users is often regarded as driven by the need to support a habit and/or as merely an aside to involvement in the drug "industry." This paper examines a group of successful women drug dealers in Melbourne—most of whom are also illicit drug users—and maps their involvement in property crime. It concludes that property offenses are tightly integrated with the women's drug businesses. Success in property offending is a characteristic of successful drug dealers, and stolen property and money plays a key part in the trade—providing a lucrative source of income, gifts, payments, and rewards. Property crime provides excitement and other, valued, intangible satisfactions, including status and self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The journal "Australian Institute of Criminology: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice" in the February 2001 issue is presented. It provides an international data which supports that some Australian sites have the highest rates of opiate use among the detainees in five countries. It highlights the different strategies to prevent crime such as the partnership between law enforcement, health, community services and education sector. The International-Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (I-ADAM) has provided results on the postive testing of drugs like cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine.

The article discusses law enforcement responses to control illicit drug use in Australia. It notes that the country is facing issues surrounding the use of illicit drugs which require policy and intervention responses from agencies throughout the spectrum of education, treatment, and rehabilitation. It highlights the effort of the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Federal Police to reduce crime in the country. Related topics including high level drug trafficking control, community policing, and civil forfeiture law are discussed.

The article presents a report published by the Australian Institute of Criminology which examines the utility of Australia's national statistical collections. It look into the relationship of drug offenses to other criminal activity to better understand the occurrence of other forms of crimes. With this, the author cites many facts that are closely related to the association, such as the proportion into which the offenders commit an offense to support a drug habit, the impact of drug abuse on the commission for armed robberies and other property offenses. Furthermore, the the impact of the age and gender of the arrestee which have the tendency to expand the collection is being noted.

The article examines the deaths of prisoners serving community corrections orders in Australia. A study reveals that offenders in community corrections orders have a higher probability of death compared to those in prison. It notes that among an average of nearly 7000 individuals serving community corrections orders on any one day, there have been 50 to 70 deaths each year since 1991. It determines several risks encountered by offenders in the community corrections orders including high risk drugs and alcohol behaviour.

Examines material concerning public opinion in Australia about drugs and drug problems. Why public views in Australia may or may not coincide with public views elsewhere; Costs associated with illicit and licit drugs; Comparisons to Western countries; Additional aspects of data analysis.

The rates of criminality of two groups of heroin users presenting to Westmead Hospital were studied. Forty-seven heroin users referred by a structured court diversion scheme (DACAP) were compared with 45 self-referred heroin users. Demographic data, heroin use measures, non-narcotic drug use, and alcohol use were collected by semi-structured interview. Official records were used for measures of criminality. This provided a comprehensive profile of conviction and incarceration rates. Each sample was compared on the age at presentation, intensity and duration of heroin use, and presenting rates of criminality. Results demonstrated the DACAP sample was significantly less heroin involved at presentation with a marginally shorter history of use. Comparisons on criminality demonstrated no difference between samples on six measures. The DACAP group recorded significantly higher levels on two criminality measures, the reverse of what was hypothesized. It is suggested that the DACAP diversion scheme generates a distinct subpopulation of heroin users, characterized by younger age, lower education, less marital attachment, poorer employment history, earlier onset of antisocial behaviour and comparable criminality. Identifiable subpopulations of heroin users appear to be generated by the different referral sources: legal or health oriented. The utility of diverting a more criminally and socially dysfunctional group to treatment agencies is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the politics and government of the Commonwealth of Australia from July to December 1997. Political pressures during the period; List of the members who comprised the Coalition Cabinet of the country under Prime Minister John Howard; Information on the Commonwealth Aged Care Act; How the government handled drug-related trials and offensives.

The article presents a report published by the Australian Institute of Criminology on the use and abuse of drug law enforcement statistics and its implications in crime and criminal justice in Australia. It discusses the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) concerning the levels of drug offences and offending in the country where law enforcement initiatives form a significant part of the campaign. It mentions the increasing number of drug offences that suggest a prevalent use of illegal drugs, the efforts to arrest drug pushers instead of drug users, and the upward trend in illegal drug trade. Moreover, the drug offences related to cannabis instead of heroin and cocaine are the main focus of most public issues and concerns.

The article focuses on the growing numbers of women prisoners in Australia as well as the need for positive ways to improve women's prison conditions. It analyzes specific difficulties encountered by women in Australian prisons. Several studies over the past years have depicted the increasing female imprisonment numbers in the country. However, women stay a small proportion of total Australians imprisoned. Factors that contributed to the growing female imprisonment include a trend towards a lengthier sentence for women, truth in sentencing legislation, and increased frequency of drug offences. It discusses issues affecting female inmates such as illegal drugs, lesbianism, and medical care.

The author reflects on the article "Pharmaceutical Sales of Pseudoephedrine: The Impact of Electronic Tracking Systems on Methamphetamine Crime Incidents" by L. Mazerolle, I. McGuffog, J. Ferris, and M. Chamlin which appears in the same issue of the journal. It states that the emergence of the international importation of methamphetamine (meth) may negate the need to an electronic tracking system for precursor drugs that are used to produce meth in Australia. Local law enforcement is assessed.

The article reports that Australia's policies on drug use compared with other nations have been found wanting. It mentions that Australia has already endorsed a war on drugs for defeating drugs in the hands of the criminal justice system. It further reports that criminalisation of drug use has increased risk behaviours, helped drive the spread of HIV and encouraged further illegal activity and it discourages those taking drugs from seeking help.