Changes in patterns of drug injection concurrent with a sustained reduction in the availability of heroin in Australia

Abstract

Between 1996 and 2000, heroin was the drug most frequently injected in Australia, and viable heroin markets existed in six of Australia's eight jurisdictions. In 2001, there was a dramatic and sustained reduction in the availability of heroin that was accompanied by a substantial increase in its price, and a 14% decline in the average purity of seizures analysed by forensic laboratories. The shortage of heroin constitutes a unique natural experiment within which to examine the impact of supply reduction. This paper reviews one important correlate of the shortage, namely changes in patterns of illicit drug injection. A number of studies have consistently suggested that between 2000 and 2001, ..