Cost of drugs to community exposed

Jim Anderton

The cost of drugs - both in terms of money and social impact - has been set out by the Government in its latest policy review.

Jim Anderton, Associate Health Minister in charge of drug policy, said the cost of drug abuse, legal and illegal, was "almost incalculable".

He said reduced drug abuse would save millions -- for example 90 per cent of those in jail were affected by drug and alcohol use and if that could be reduced less jails would be needed.

Mr Anderton said in the past health effects had been the primary focus.

"This drug document tries to take a more economic and socially orientated approach to the use of drugs. In other words what is the cost to the community and to individuals and families both financially, economically and socially," he said.

"Of course that has health effects as well, we're not saying health effects are not important, but we are also widening the scope of the document."

Mr Anderton emphasised legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco caused far more harm than illegal drugs -- between 70-90 per cent of criminal activity related to alcohol use and 4700 deaths a year were largely attributable to tobacco use.

"We can get fixated with drugs a minimum number of people use but the real problem is the ones that a lot of people use."

Mr Anderton said the new policy would reflect changes in New Zealand such as the growing use of amphetamine -- speed-type drugs that included P -- and party pills.

"We need to make sure our policy is up to date and that the most appropriate responses in dealing with drug-related harm are made."

Detailed action plans would be developed once the policy was in place.

Attention would be given to at-risk groups that experience a disproportionate amount of drug-related harm compared to the wider population, such as young people and Maori.

The policy outlined areas of supply control, demand reduction and problem limitation. Proposals ranged from toughening and enforcing laws, greater education, continued work on pricing and tax policy, and improving access to treatment. It also said more needed to be done on collecting data.

The expanded drugs policy for the next five years, developed by the Inter-Agency Committee on Drugs, is now out for consultation.

People can make written submissions and there will be 13 public meetings around the country starting this month.

- NZPA