Aus - High price of alcohol drives demand for illegal drugs

[CLICKHEREx]

http://www.smh.com.au/national/high-price-of-alcohol-drives-demand-for-illegal-drugs-20140810-102eo6.html#ixzz3A9ajOBDr [view bar graph onsite]

August 11, 2014

Inga Ting Data journalist

The expense of alcohol is driving Australia's high rates of illicit drug use, health experts say, as new figures show Australia's combination of high levels of use and expensive illicit substances buck international trends.

Australia is one of the most expensive countries in which to buy illicit substances. It ranks second for amphetamine, fourth for cocaine, fifth for methamphetamine and eighth for both ecstasy and cannabis, according to price data in the 2014 UN World Drug Report and a 2014 National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre report on drug use trends.

However, high prices have not dampened demand for these drugs.

Australia has some of the world's highest rates of illicit drug use per capita, ranking first for ecstasy, second for opioids, third for amphetamines, fourth for cocaine and seventh for cannabis, according to the UN report.

"Oceania [Australian and New Zealand] is something of an exception among the major consumer markets," the UN report states. Generally, cheaper drugs partner higher levels of use and vice versa.

But Australia is also one of the most expensive countries in which to buy alcohol, making substances such as ecstasy and cannabis a "sensible" economic choice for someone looking for a night on the town, leading Australian researchers say.

"Substitution between substances, whether they're legal or illegal, is very common," NDARC drug policy modelling program director Alison Ritter said.

"That's just sensible consumer behaviour at one level … It's no different to the choices one makes when shopping in a supermarket."

Cameron Duff of Monash University's School of Psychology and Psychiatry says young people frequently talk about the price of alcohol when explaining illicit drug use.

"The thing that comes through again and again is that party drugs, particularly ecstasy, are cheaper relative to alcohol," said Dr Duff, who has been researching cultural aspects of drug use for more than a decade.

"Young people are … thinking the average night out at a bar can be $100 without even trying, whereas a couple of tablets of ecstasy is $40 or $50."

Greater awareness of the harms associated with alcohol and tobacco was also pushing some people towards ecstasy and cannabis, Dr Duff said. And with a wealth of online resources such as global discussion forum Bluelight available, those who wanted to try illicit drugs could more easily find information about the risks.

"This is one of the other myths that is offensive to young people: that young people get drunk, take risks, don’t think about it," Dr Duff said. "Nothing could be further from the truth.

"They compare [alcohol's] risks and harms with those perceived to be associated with ecstasy, and they say: 'Ecstasy seems to me to be a safer drug'."

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak says there is "no doubt alcohol is far more damaging".

"[Ecstasy] is not harmless by any means ... But if people migrated from alcohol to cannabis or ecstasy, they would be migrating from high risk to low risk," Dr Wodak said.

Alcohol consumption cost society an estimated $14.4 billion in 2010, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology.

However, Jo Baxter, executive director of advocacy group Drug Free Australia, rejected the link with alcohol prices. She said organised crime was aware Australians had high disposable incomes and were prepared to pay high prices for illicit drugs.

"People are choosing to do it because of risk-taking behaviour," she said. "We need more education about what ecstasy and other amphetamine-type stimulants can do to the brain."

Professor Ritter said Australians were "surprisingly conservative" when it came to illicit substances. Most Australians were against the legalisation of cannabis or ecstasy, and the latest alcohol figures showed "a much greater rate of abstinence among young people than there’s ever been".

Illicit drug use cost the Australian society an estimated $8.2 billion in 2004-05, according to the latest available statistics.

Edited August 12, 2014 by CLICKHEREx

[cactuscarl]

Spot on

I also totally agree with this statement... IMO alcohol is more damaging to physical health mental health society and your far more likely to harm youself or others

"they compare [alcohol's] risks and harms with those perceived to be associated with ecstasy, and they say: 'Ecstasy seems to me to be a safer drug'."

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak says there is "no doubt alcohol is far more damaging".

"[Ecstasy] is not harmless by any means ... But if people migrated from alcohol to cannabis or ecstasy, they would be migrating from high risk to low risk," Dr Wodak said.

Alcohol consumption cost society an estimated $14.4 billion in 2010, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology.

Edited August 14, 2014 by cactuscarl

[AndyAmine.]

As a previous resident of Surfers Paradise for about 10yrs I definitely noticed a clear change in alcohol vs's drug use when the higher alco taxes came in.

Particularly at Schoolies. The first couple of years after the alco-pop taxes arrived it was not uncommon to hear large groups of young (and older) people loudly debating the pro's and cons of the cost of getting some spirits vs's getting some drugs while out the front of the bottle shops and clubs.

Also noticed a big change in behavior and next day hangovers with way less passed out people on the beach etc and way more fried eggs causing a ruckus on the strip,.

All in all, I think they were much better behaved and I felt much safer walking around amongst it.

I just re-read what I typed, man, Im turning into a crotchety old man.... 'Well in maaaah day we used'ta......'

Edited August 14, 2014 by AndyAmine.

[Francois le Danque]

Hey international comparison table, where the hell is USA?

[mr b.caapi]

USA? wheres that? never heard of it....

Edited August 25, 2014 by mr b.caapi