A rising proportion of Australians favour cannabis legalisation, with newly released research also showing that nearly three in five support pill testing measures.
The 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey reveals that alcohol and tobacco use have fallen among Australians, though consumption of some illicit drugs has increased.
Released on Thursday, the survey demonstrates that the Australian community is shifting toward harm-reduction approaches rather than punishment-based strategies for drug policy.
Changes to drug use
Administered every three years, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed increases in illicit drug consumption compared to 2016 data.
These increases included cannabis, which rose from 10.4% to 11.6%, cocaine from 2.5% to 4.2%, ecstasy from 2.2% to 3.0%, and ketamine from 0.4% to 0.9%.
Young males displayed especially marked growth, with cocaine use among men aged 20-29 nearly doubling from 7.3% to 14.4% in the 12 months before the survey.
In contrast, non-medical use of painkillers and opioids fell from 3.6% to 2.7%, aligning with codeine's shift to prescription-only status in 2018.
Smoking and drinking
The 2019 survey recorded smoking at its lowest point ever, reaching 11% daily smokers, down from 12.2% in 2016, primarily because younger populations are not adopting the habit.
Hazardous drinking patterns remained stable, although the proportion of people abstaining from alcohol increased from 7.6% to 8.9%.
Adolescents aged 14 to 17 who reported never consuming alcohol reached 66%, a substantial increase from just 28% in 2001.
The legalisation debate
In a historic first for the survey, support for cannabis legalisation (41%) now exceeds opposition (37%), representing a near-doubling from 2007's backing of 21%.
This shift carries significance because, while the public has long supported decriminalisation—removing criminal penalties for possession—legalisation has previously lagged in popular favour.
The ACT, Northern Territory and South Australia decriminalised cannabis three decades ago. Across other states and territories, de facto decriminalisation operates through police diversion schemes, which redirect individuals arrested for minor possession toward education or treatment.
Fewer respondents believed possession should face criminal penalties (22%, down from 26%), and fewer backed harsher penalties for sales and supply (44%, down from 50%). A majority (54%) preferred responses limited to warnings or cautions.
When asked about personal use under legalisation, 78% said they would not use cannabis, with only 3% indicating they would increase consumption.
Numerous countries and jurisdictions have already legalised cannabis, including Uruguay, Canada, and multiple U.S. states. New Zealand is scheduled to hold a referendum on the issue this year.
During this period, the ACT introduced legal home cultivation of cannabis for personal use.
Multiple government reviews in Australia have recommended cannabis legalisation, with a 2019 Queensland Productivity Commission investigation into imprisonment and recidivism among them:
“After many decades of operation, illicit drugs policy has failed to curb supply or use. The policy costs around $500 million per year to administer and is a key contributor to rising imprisonment rates… Evidence suggests moving away from a criminal approach will reduce harm and is unlikely to increase drug use.”
One of the most significant consequences of cannabis prohibition is the risk of criminal justice involvement. Approximately 70,000 people face arrest for cannabis offences annually, with over 90% of these arrests relating to possession.
Safe injecting facilities
The survey examined supervised injecting facilities for the first time.
Just under half of respondents supported "supervised drug consumption facilities," with 47% in favour and 32% opposed. Younger people, particularly those under 40, showed the strongest backing.
Supervised facilities have proved divisive in community discussion, though a 2017 Victorian parliamentary inquiry received support from 46 of 49 submissions regarding a proposed Melbourne installation.
These health services provide clean injecting equipment and supervised off-street consumption spaces staffed by medical professionals, reducing fatal overdose risk and improving access to treatment. More than 100 operate globally.
Australia currently operates two such facilities. The Kings Cross location in Sydney has run for 20 years, while Melbourne's North Richmond site opened in 2018, with a second Melbourne facility announced by the Andrews government.
Global research on supervised facilities has documented reductions in associated crime, including robbery and property offences, alongside decreased public drug use and needle abandonment.
Pill testing
Drug checking or pill testing was covered in the survey for the first time.
Support for drug checking stood at 57%, versus 27% opposition. Those aged 14-39 showed the strongest backing at 61%, though people over 40 also demonstrated substantial support at 52%.
These results mirror other polling data, including a 2018 Essential poll showing 59% of Australians support pill testing.
Such services allow people planning to use illicit drugs to have them analysed using laboratory methods, typically with consultation from health workers. Testing can occur at consumption locations such as music festivals or separately at health facilities.
While established practice in the UK and Europe, drug checking remains contentious in Australia.
Following inquests into six deaths at various NSW festivals, the coroner recommended the state government introduce drug checking services.
Lessons for policy makers
The survey included a budget allocation exercise in which respondents distributed $100 among education, treatment, and law enforcement to address illicit drug use. For the first time, respondents directed more funds toward education ($36.00) than enforcement ($34.80).
This represents a departure from government spending patterns on alcohol and drug services. A 2013 analysis found that 66% of expenditure went to law enforcement, 22% to treatment, with prevention (10%) and harm reduction (2%) receiving minimal resources.
The survey findings indicate a meaningful shift in public attitudes, particularly regarding illicit drug policy. Australians are increasingly moving away from enforcement-centred frameworks and opening up to alternative drug policy approaches.
Government decision-makers have public support to pursue drug policies aligned with evidence-based international practice.
Jarryd Bartle, Sessional Lecturer, RMIT University and Nicole Lee, Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne), Curtin University.
- This article is republished from The Conversation. Read the original article.