Public Health Local and Global Perspectives

In this chapter, we discuss drug use in Australia. We take a public health approach to the problems created by the use of drugs. Public health approaches to substance use focus on reducing harmful consequences of substance use, irrespective of the type of substance being used (Csete et al., 2016). Reducing population-level harms related to substance use can be achieved by reducing the numbers of people who use drugs, but also by reducing harmful patterns of use among those who choose to use. These two goals can be compatible. Public health responses to drug use acknowledge that some people will continue to use drugs regardless of legal or social sanctions. Consequently, policies aimed at reducing drug-related harm are central to a public health framework. Some public health policies (for example, appropriate taxation) work by reducing both the numbers of users and the harmful patterns of use (Anderson, Chisholm & Fuhr, 2009).