Australia's National Drug Strategy beyond 2009: consultation paper
Foreword
Australia's National Drug Strategy 2004–2009 is in its final year of implementation. The Strategy has been evaluated by independent experts under the auspices of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy (MCDS). The evaluation found that the Strategy and its three pillars of supply, demand and harm reduction are fundamentally sound and have been vital to the success of the Strategy in reducing the prevalence of, and harms from, drug use in Australia over a long period.
Nonetheless, significant harms from drug use continue to occur in Australia and new trends are emerging. This Consultation Paper aims to identify emerging issues and seek input from expert stakeholders and the broader community on directions for the next phase of the Strategy 2010–2015.
The Paper has been prepared on behalf of the MCDS by the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs National Drug Strategy Development Working Group (Appendix 1 details organisational membership on the Working Group). The MCDS invites feedback on the paper. In particular the Council is interested in:
- how the emerging issues and new developments identified in this paper might impact on patterns of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug use and the misuse of licit substances (e.g. pharmaceuticals, performance and image enhancing substances) in the next five years, and appropriate responses to these patterns
- other emerging issues that you think are relevant to the next phase of the National Drug Strategy
- what you think the top priorities for action should be during the next five years and
- your response to the key consultation questions asked throughout the paper.
