NEW DRUG INDEX TO HELP POLICE MEASURE HARM

A new index developed by an economic consultancy will help police
decide where drugs do most harm and enable them to target resources
more efficiently.

The Drug Harm Index was developed by Business and Economic Research
Limited as an assessment tool for social harm.

It measures the "harms" related to drug use, including lost work
output, health service use, diverted resources and reduced quality or
loss of life, and allows police to quantify seizures in terms of harm
prevented instead of the street value of the drugs seized.

National Crime Manager Detective Superintendent Win van der Velde told
the police Ten One magazine the index showed drug seizures in 2006
avoided $485 million of drug harm, and $3.67 billion between 2000 and
2006.

"This index holds the potential for police to become more targeted and
responsive to areas of crime where greater harm occurs."

The index will also help police to measure the impact it is having on
drug related crime and put New Zealand's drug harm in an international
context.

"Police will be able to quantify the amount of harm saved with the use
of the Drug Harm Index. It will help reinforce the value of police
enforcement activity and the work with our partner agencies.

"These are all part of our efforts to target organised crime groups
and reduce the amount of drugs which cause harm in our communities and
result in enormous cost to New Zealand."