Utilization of Supply-Side Policies in Reducing Heroin Use The Australian and Canadian Experiences. By Bisola Atinmo

Background What is Heroin? Can be administered by smoking, sniffing/snorting and inejction 3.8 million (1.5%) aged have used heroin 560,000 (0.2%) have used heroin in past year 338,000 (0.1%) have used heroin in past month

Background (cont) Average age of first use for those between the ages of 12 to 49 years is 20.7 In 1994, 548,000 Americans were addicted to Heroin. High social costs - Crime - Disease

The Australian Experience High amounts of heroin use in mid – late 1990’s Increased addiction, death, crime, and Hepatitis C infection. Unexpected shortage of heroin occurred in January, 2001 Cause unknown – Increased policing or reduced production in source countries?

Effects of Shortage In Sydney (largest market), heroin use decreased. Opoid related death reduced by 67% and Hepatitis C notifications fell Cocaine use increased No increase in number of other drug-related deaths. Decrease in rates of property crime Decrease in heroin supply acts like increased alcohol taxation. Reduces harm but not all affected by tax

Applicability to Amerian Policy Australian experience may be atypical because: i.) the heroin market in Australia is relatively small ii.) they are an island continent supplied a small number of highly centralized networks iii.) users have easy access to treatment

The Canadian Experience Overdose of illicit drugs is leading cause of death in Canadian cities $426 million spent in 1999/2000 to reduce supply of heroin In September 2001, 100kg of heroin seized in Vancouver by officials.

Effects of Seizure Vancouver Injection Drug User Study, 1996 Found: - No change in participants’ ability to purchase drug - No change in overall drug use pattern - No change in per-point price of cocaine *Possible shortcoming of study is that only 75 of all participants were addicted to heroin.

Conclusion Possible that differences in both countries geographies and drug markets account for such opposite experiences. Possible that amount of heroin seized in Vancouver was inconsequential. Unable to draw a policy recommendation but Australia’s experience seem more logical. Learned has the same kind of elasticity as alcohol. Valuable information.

References 1. National Institute on Drug Abuse National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information. (accessed March 9th, 2008) 2. News on Heroin, Narconon of Oklahoma, Inc. (accessed March 9, 2008) 3. Bureau of Justice Statistics US Department of Justice. (accessed March 9th, 2008). 4. Degenhardt, Day. Hall, and Bewley-Taylor, Dave R The Australian Heroin Shortage Six years On: What, If Any, are the Implications for Drug Policy? The Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme. July Wood, Evan. Tyndall, Spitall et al Impact of supply-side policies for control of illicit drugs in the face of the AIDS and overdose epidemics: investigation of a massive heroin seizure. Canadian Medical Association. January 2003.