Australia heroin usage

A research paper written by University of South Australia PhD student Mark
Prunckun based on figures supplied by police forces in every state along
with Federal Government statistics shows that 250,000 Australians use heroin.

These users are spending an estimated $2.9 billion on the drug each year
and about 1700kg of the drug is being smuggled into the country every year
although the amount being seized is shrinking.

Only 3.5 per cent of the heroin which entered the country in 199596 was
captured, compared with about 10 per cent in 198889.

Heroin prices had not changed since 198889, but the strength had risen.

"If we were successful we would expect to see either an increase in price
or a decrease in purity ....I'd say we have lost the war" said Mr Prunckun.
He further suggests that we need to look at why people are using and how we
can reduce this.

South Australian Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said the new National Heroin
Supply Reduction Strategy was considering a more coordinated approach
including closer sharing of information between police agencies, a national
database, uniformity of drug laws and increased powers.