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Survey shows drug, crime link
April 23, 2005 - 5:34PM
Almost half of all people detained by police in Australia used drugs immediately before their arrest, a new survey has found.
And 61 per cent of those charged with property offences tested positive to an illicit drug other than cannabis, according to the 2004 annual report of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program.
The study, released by Justice Minister Chris Ellison, found 47 per cent of people arrested in seven regions across Australia said they had used drugs before their arrest.
A total of 3,834 detainees were interviewed for the survey during the year, and 82 per cent also provided a urine sample.
The survey was conducted on detainees at seven sites throughout Australia - Adelaide city and Elizabeth in South Australia; Bankstown and Parramatta in NSW; Brisbane city and Southport in Queensland; and East Perth in Western Australia.
The survey also found 71 per cent of detainees obtained illicit drugs in the 30 days before their arrest, and 37 per cent attributed some of their criminal activity to their drug use.
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Thirteen per cent of detainees were dependent on alcohol, and 40 per cent on illicit drugs, while one-third had extreme levels of psychological distress.
Detainees classed as drug-dependent, or who had tested positive to methamphetamine or heroin, had the highest number of arrests in the previous year.
Mr Ellison said the results would help the federal government formulate and implement drugs policy.
"If we make progress in the war on drugs, we make great strides in the fight against crime," he said in a statement.
"The DUMA program, now in its fifth year, provides us with vital information on the drugs/crime nexus and also plays a significant role in the identification of changes in local drug markets."
The results of the study had revealed a slight increase in heroin use in parts of western Sydney, Mr Ellison said.
© 2005 AAP
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Survey-shows-drug-crime-link/2005/04/23/1114152359374.html
April 23, 2005 - 5:34PM
Almost half of all people detained by police in Australia used drugs immediately before their arrest, a new survey has found.
And 61 per cent of those charged with property offences tested positive to an illicit drug other than cannabis, according to the 2004 annual report of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program.
The study, released by Justice Minister Chris Ellison, found 47 per cent of people arrested in seven regions across Australia said they had used drugs before their arrest.
A total of 3,834 detainees were interviewed for the survey during the year, and 82 per cent also provided a urine sample.
The survey was conducted on detainees at seven sites throughout Australia - Adelaide city and Elizabeth in South Australia; Bankstown and Parramatta in NSW; Brisbane city and Southport in Queensland; and East Perth in Western Australia.
The survey also found 71 per cent of detainees obtained illicit drugs in the 30 days before their arrest, and 37 per cent attributed some of their criminal activity to their drug use.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
Thirteen per cent of detainees were dependent on alcohol, and 40 per cent on illicit drugs, while one-third had extreme levels of psychological distress.
Detainees classed as drug-dependent, or who had tested positive to methamphetamine or heroin, had the highest number of arrests in the previous year.
Mr Ellison said the results would help the federal government formulate and implement drugs policy.
"If we make progress in the war on drugs, we make great strides in the fight against crime," he said in a statement.
"The DUMA program, now in its fifth year, provides us with vital information on the drugs/crime nexus and also plays a significant role in the identification of changes in local drug markets."
The results of the study had revealed a slight increase in heroin use in parts of western Sydney, Mr Ellison said.
© 2005 AAP
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Survey-shows-drug-crime-link/2005/04/23/1114152359374.html
