Drugs policy inquiry

Terms of Reference The Committee sought written submissions on the health consequences of illicit drugs policy including on: Health and harms: What is the extent of health harms resulting from drug use? Prevention and early intervention: What are the reasons for both the initial and the continued, sustained use of drugs? This refers to the wide spectrum of use, from high-risk use to the normalisation of recreational use. How effective and evidence-based are strategies for prevention and early intervention in managing and countering the drivers of use? This includes whether a whole-system approach is taken. Treatment and harm reduction: How effective and evidence-based is treatment provision? This refers to both healthcare services and wider agencies, and the extent to which joined-up care pathways operate. Is policy is sufficiently geared towards treatment? This includes the extent to which health is prioritised, in the context of the Government’s criminal justice-led approach. Best practice: What would a high-quality, evidence-based response to drugs look like? What responses to drugs internationally stand out as particularly innovative and / or relevant, and what evidence is there of impact in these cases?