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Publications
Patron Offending and Intoxication in Night-Time Entertainment Districts (POINTED)
Patron Offending and Intoxication in Night-Time Entertainment Districts (POINTED) is a massive project which interviewed almost 7000 patrons between November 2011 to June 2012, and conduct almost 900 hours of hours of observation of patrons in pubs and clubs. Entertainment precincts surveyed included King Street and Prahran in Melbourne, Northbridge in Perth, Kings Cross and Darling Harbour in Sydney and the Wollongong and Geelong night-time entertainment districts. The project showed that across Australia, after 1am, almost 30 percent of 6500 patrons tested had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of above 0.1 with the highest averages in Geelong and Perth. An average of 65% reported pre-drinking (or pre-loading) before to going out and the main reason to pre-load was to save money. Consuming five or six drinks before going to the pub indicated a higher risk of heavy alcohol consumption and risky behaviour, such as drink driving. The study also showed a high propensity for the use of high energy drinks (HED) – either in an alcohol mix or separate, and HED users generally had a higher BAC reading and experienced more aggression and injury. Most HED users had, on average, exceeded the daily recommended dose by 11pm. Finally, around one in four people are believed to have used drugs. This study was the first of its kind to use drug swabs to validate people own reports. It found between 1 and 2 people in every five had used drugs, but that one in four was the most likely average across the country. The main drugs admitted to were cannabis, amphetamines and ecstasy. Suggested policy directions from the study include: alcohol companies pay for health warning TV advertisements directly after the screening of pro-alcohol ads; ceasing the sales of high energy drinks from 10pm; the imposition of tighter trading hour restrictions; ceasing the sale of alcohol in venues an hour before closing; increasing the price of alcohol through taxation (preferably based on volume and increasing according to beverage strength) to include pre-packaged alcohol used for preloading, to allow for specific expenditure on measures that ameliorate harm, and; the banning of two for one, and bulk discount alcohol deals.
Download: Monograph_46.pdf
Evaluating drug law enforcement interventions directed towards methamphetamine in Australia
This study, conducted in 2008 and 2009, sought to provide a rich description of the Australian methamphetamine supply chains and to conduct an economic evaluation of four law enforcement interventions directed at different levels of the methamphetamine market.
Download: Monograph_44.pdf
Dealing with alcohol-related harm and the night-time economy
The ‘Dealing with alcohol-related harm and the night-time economy (DANTE)’ study compared the effectiveness of alcohol-related crime prevention measures put in place between 2005 and 2010 through licensing regulation in Newcastle (NSW) and the voluntary programs run in Geelong (Victoria). The study reviewed hospital, police and ambulance records to evaluate the rates of alcohol-related harm. 4000 patron interviews and 129 unannounced venue observations were undertaken and community attitudes towards alcohol-related harm and the available policy options were also canvassed. Across this very large range of data, the key findings were that a substantial amount of harm was associated with pre-drinking and that measures that dealt directly with alcohol consumption employed in Newcastle, such as restricted trading hours, were the most effective in reducing alcohol-related crime. The study found such measures need to be implemented across all venues, rather than just a specific venues to ensure a level-playing field for business and act as a vehicle for culture change amongst patrons. A range of interventions analysed in the study were found ineffective, including: locking patrons out of clubs after 1.30am, clubs closing by 3.30am, banning alcohol shots after 10pm and limits on the number of drinks being served (as mandated by licence conditions in Newcastle) and the introduction of ID scanners, improved communication between venues and police and education campaigns (which were voluntary in Geelong).Strong, consistent policing using substantial personal fines was also found effective, but requires policing levels which are seldom sustained. Illicit drug use is fairly low, but does predict greater experience of violence and harm. The community surveys revealed that most people believed alcohol was a problem in their entertainment precincts and that nine out of ten people believed licenced venues should shut by 3am. There was similar support for more police on the street. The study concluded that while night-time economies, such as nightclubs and bars, are an important part of our urban and regional centres they are also places where violence and injury occur at great cost to the community. Using policies based on the evidence of this and other independent research can help create safe and vibrant night-time entertainment districts.
Download: Monograph_43.pdf
Assessment of the utility of obtaining human profiles from drug seizures
The majority of drugs in seizures were found to contain human DNA which rarely came from a single individual. Attempts to resolve mixed STR profiles of DNA extracted from drug seizures was ineffective as the ratio of individual alleles is not preserved during amplification and varies from locus to locus. However, hypervariable sequences in mitochondrial DNA provide a means of determining the number of contributors to a sample and gaining information which allows tactical comparison of seizures with the possibility of identifying individuals situated higher up the distribution chain. Methods for reliable extraction of DNA from seizures are described and two methods for resolution of mixed mitochondrial sequences presented: by cloning and also by next generation sequencing, a cloning free method that is more suitable for forensic purposes.
Download: Monograph_42.pdf
Evaluation of the deterrent effect of Random Breath Testing (RBT) and Random Drug Testing (RDT) - The driver's perspective
The evaluation involved a mixed methodology, where review and a qualitative component guided the development of a survey to assess the deterrent effect of random breath testing (RBT) and random drug testing (RDT), and a quantitative component measured the influence of various law enforcement practices on a driver’s decision to drink/drug drive. In order to ascertain aspects of law enforcement practice that have the greatest deterrence value to drivers, analysis on Australia-wide data was performed. The project focused on identifying which law enforcement practices have the greatest deterrent effect on drivers who consume alcohol and/or drugs, and who indicate they are likely to drink drive and/or drug drive in the future from the driver’s perspective
Download: Monograph_41.pdf
Law enforcement and khat: An analysis of current
"Khat" refers to the leaves of the Catha edulis tree. While khat has been chewed for centuries by people in countries in the Horn of Africa region for its stimulant properties, in recent years its use in Australia has increased as more people from the region, particularly Somalia, have settled here. Drawing on focus groups conducted with over one hundred Somali and Ethiopian people in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth and on interviews with police service / force employees in those states, we examine current issues associated with the use and regulation of the plant and problems for law enforcement.
Download: Monograph_40.pdf
Reducing the methamphetamine problem in Australia: Evaluating innovative partnerships between police, pharmacies and other third parties
Illicit methamphetamine use is a continuing, significant problem, with prevalence rates In Australia among the highest in the world. Australian policy responses have been focused on supply reduction strategies, and especially law enforcement.
While traditional policing of drug problems relies mostly on reactive measures, innovative approaches involving third parties are increasingly popular. Third party policing partnerships engage non-police to help develop and coordinate crime prevention strategies.
In Australia, Project STOP has been developed by police, pharmacists and other partners to reduce the diversion of legal pseudoephedrine products into illicit methamphetamine production.
The aim of this study was to evaluate this partnership in two different States, which have adopted different approaches to its implementation.
The importance of both a supportive regulatory framework and organisational support for innovative approaches to drug control are discussed, and a best practice framework is suggested.
Download: Monograph_39.pdf
Drink or drunk: Why do staff at licensed premises continue to serve patrons to intoxication despite current laws and interventions?
Addressing drinking behaviours, intoxication and the resultant behaviours from intoxication in Australia is influenced by several issues?the social acceptability of intoxication, the acceptance of licensed venues as places where intoxication happens and a general belief that violence and aggression at licensed venues is inevitable. Over the past 20 years, Australia has made significant moves to address issues of alcohol-related harm and violence through server regulations such as RSA training, State and Territory liquor controls, security legislation and through localised liquor management plans and accords. Despite such interventions and media attention around the risks associated with unsafe drinking habits, intoxicated people continue to be able to easily access alcohol and be served in licensed venues. The aim of the current study was to gain an understanding of why staff at licensed premises continue to serve patrons to intoxication and the factors that increase this, despite current laws and interventions. Motivating factors for continuing alcohol service and the different perspectives of both bar staff and venue owners and managers are investigated in this project
Download: Monograph_38.pdf
Opioid substitution treatment in prison and post-release: Effects on criminal recidivism and mortality
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) is an effective treatment for heroin dependence that is increasingly available in correctional settings globally; in 2009, at least 29 countries offered OST in at least one correctional institution (Larney & Dolan 2009). In Australia, OST is available in prisons in all jurisdictions, albeit with limitations on treatment access in some jurisdictions (AIHW 2010a). One rationale that is often given in support of prison OST is that it reduces post-release criminality; however, the evidence for this proposition is equivocal. Another rationale for prison OST is that it will reduce the risk of death by drug overdose in the post-release period. The aims of the studies presented in this report are to assess the effects of prison OST on re-incarceration, criminal convictions and mortality.
Download: Monograph_37.pdf
Illicit Drug Laboratories and the Environment
The illicit manufacture of amphetamine-type substances in clandestine laboratories is a significant problem in Australia and overseas. Disposal of chemical waste from clandestine laboratories is more likely to involve practices that maintain secrecy rather than practices that protect the environment; inevitably some clandestine laboratories will dispose of waste by burial and that waste that is disposed of in domestic waste will end up in landfill. It has been estimated that approximately 5?6 pounds of waste is produced for each pound of methamphetamine produced (Lukas, 1997). Although the waste itself represents a direct environmental threat, soil is an active material that digests some chemicals and converts them into other chemicals, which themselves could also be a threat. Surprisingly, there has only been one investigation into what happens to drugs, their precursors, and manufacturing by-products when they are buried; therefore it is not yet known whether these chemicals represent an environmental threat or not.
A critical task of the forensic clandestine laboratory investigator is to analyse residues of manufacture in order to gather evidence of illicit drug manufacture and evidence of the particular synthetic route used. The chemical make-up of residues that have been buried has not been investigated.
Download: Monograph_35.pdf
Developing the capacity and skills for national implementation of a drug law enforcement performance measurement framework
This report summarises major fi ndings from the second stage of a project to test the feasibility of a model performance measurement framework for Australian drug law enforcement (DLE) agencies and to provide advice on its national implementation.
Download: Monograph_34.pdf
Implementing a drug law enforcement (DLE) performance measurement framework in Australia
Companion document to NDLERF Monograph Series No. 34, ?Developing the capacity and skills for national implementation of a drug law enforcement performance measurement framework?
Download: DLE_Perf_Mgt_Fieldwork_Findings.pdf
A plan for national implementation of the drug law enforcement performance measurement framework
Companion document to NDLERF Monograph Series No. 34, ?Developing the capacity and skills for national implementation of a drug law enforcement performance measurement framework?
Download: DLE_Perf_Mgt_Implementation.pdf
Foundations for an effective performance measurement system for drug law enforcement
Companion document to NDLERF Monograph Series No. 34, ?Developing the capacity and skills for national implementation of a drug law enforcement performance measurement framework?
Download: DLE_Perf_Mgt_Foundations.pdf
An investigation into the influx of Indigenous 'visitors' to Darwin?s Long Grass from remote NT communities ? Phase 2
This study asked the question, ?What do Aboriginal people staying in Darwin?s Long Grass require to attain an acceptable level of health and life quality and to be law abiding citizens?? The views and experiences of 550 participants were explored through three stages of fieldwork.
Download: Monograph_33.pdf
Comparative rates of violent crime amongst methamphetamine and opioid users: Victimisation and offending
There have been marked changes in methamphetamine use over the past decade as more potent forms of the drug have become increasingly available, particularly crystalline methamphetamine. A major concern of stronger potency methamphetamine is the increased potential for harm, such as psychotic symptoms and violent behaviour. Little is currently known about what effects methamphetamine use has on violent behaviour.
Download: Monograph_32.pdf
Enhancing the implementation and management of drug diversion strategies in Australian law enforcement agencies
The cases of South Australia Police, Tasmania Police and Victoria Police during the period 2000 ? 2005
Download: Monograph_31.pdf
The bioprofiling of illicit drugs
It has been found that DNA sequences can be extracted and amplified from typical drug seizures.
Non-human DNA in seizures was readily compared for similarities, pair-wise, seizure to seizure
and this should be applicable to police intelligence almost immediately and court usage
after considerable experience and validation.
Download: Monograph_30.pdf
Application of new DNA markers for forensic examination of Cannabis sativa seizures ? Developmental validation of protocols and a genetic database
While Cannabis sativa has many industrial and therapeutic uses, drug varieties of C. sativa remain Australia?s most frequently used illicit drug. It is widely presumed that organised crime groups largely supply the domestic black market for C. sativa. However, law enforcement agencies are often unable to link producers operating in suspected syndicates or to determine whether crops of legalised fibre varieties are being used for the covert production of drug varieties of the plant.
Download: Monograph_29.pdf
Predicting alcohol-related harms from licensed outlet density: A feasibility study
The overall aim of this feasibility study was to progress the development of an Australian model sensitive to local risk factors to help authorities determine appropriate liquor outlet densities for minimising alcohol-related harms within communities.
Download: Monograph_28.pdf
Containing ecstasy: analytical tools for profiling an illegal drug market
Containing ecstasy: analytical tools for profiling an illegal drug market
Download: Monograph_27.pdf
Making Sense of Partnerships
A study of police and housing department collaboration for tackling drug and related problems on public housing estates.
Download: Monograph_26.pdf
Estimating the short-term cost of police time spent dealing with alcohol-related crime in NSW
Estimating the short-term cost of police time spent dealing with alcohol-related crime in NSW
Download: Monograph_25.pdf
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Northern Territory Report
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Northern Territory Report
Download: Monograph_24.pdf
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Victorian Report
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Victorian Report
Download: Monograph_23.pdf
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Tasmanian Report
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - Tasmanian Report
Download: Monograph_22.pdf
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - An examination of illicit prescription drug markets in Melbourne, Hobart and Darwin
Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime - An examination of illicit prescription drug markets in Melbourne, Hobart and Darwin
Download: Monograph_21.pdf
The impact of drugs on road crashes, assaults and other trauma - a prospective trauma toxicology study
The impact of drugs on road crashes, assaults and other trauma - a prospective trauma toxicology study
Download: Monograph_20.pdf
Impact of the heroin shortage: Additional research
Impact of the heroin shortage: Additional research
Download: Monograph_19.pdf
Developing and implementing a performance measurement framework for drug law enforcement in Australia
Developing and implementing a performance measurement framework for drug law enforcement in Australia
Download: Monograph_18.pdf
An evaluation of the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests for the detection of impairment associated with cannabis with and without alcohol
An evaluation of the Standardised Field Sobriety Tests for the detection of impairment associated with cannabis with and without alcohol
Download: Monograph_17.pdf
Policing, volatile substance misuse, and Indigenous Australians - Monograph 16
Policing, volatile substance misuse, and Indigenous Australians
Download: Monograph_16.pdf
The policing implications of cannabis, amphetamine & other illicit drug use in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities - Monograph 15
The policing implications of cannabis, amphetamine & other illicit drug use in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities
Download: Monograph_15.pdf
Good practice framework - Policing illicit drugs in rural & remote local communities - Monograph 15a
Good practice framework - Policing illicit drugs in rural & remote local communities
Download: Monograph_15a.pdf
The causes, course and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia
The causes, course and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia
Download: Monograph_03.pdf
Characteristics and dynamics of cocaine supply and demand in Sydney and Melbourne ? Monograph 14
Characteristics and dynamics of cocaine supply and demand in Sydney and Melbourne - Full Report
Download: Cocaine_Sydney_Melbourne_Full.pdf
The Sydney methamphetamine market: Patterns of supply, use, personal harms and social consequences ? Monograph 13
The Sydney methamphetamine market: Patterns of supply, use, personal harms and social consequences
Download: Sydney_Meth_Final_Report.pdf
An evaluation of the impact of changes to cannabis law in WA - Summary of Year 1 findings ? Monograph 12
An evaluation of the impact of changes to cannabis law in WA - Summary of Year 1 findings
Download: Cannabis_WA.pdf
Determination of THC levels and variation in the physical appearance of cannabis ? Monograph 11
Determination of THC levels and variation in the physical appearance of cannabis ? Monograph 11
Psycho-stimulant use, health and criminal activity among injecting heroin users ? Monograph 10
Psycho-stimulant use, health and criminal activity among injecting heroin users
Download: psycho-stimulant.pdf
The Governance of illicit synthetic drugs ? Monograph 9
NDLERF Project: The Governance of Illicit Synthetic Drugs
Download: governance_synthetic_drugs.pdf
The experiences of incarcerated high-level heroin importers: A study of the mechanics of cross-border trafficking of heroin ? Monograph 8
The experiences of incarcerated high-level heroin importers: A study of the mechanics of cross-border trafficking of heroin ? Monograph 8
The extraction of pseudoephedrine from pharmaceutical products ? Monograph 7
The extraction of pseudoephedrine from pharmaceutical products ? Monograph 7
The course and consequences of the heroin shortage in Victoria ? Monograph 6
Heroin Shortage: Victoria Executive Summary
Download: Vic_exec.pdf
The course and consequences of the heroin shortage in South Australia ? Monograph 5
The course and consequences of the heroin shortage in South Australia ? Monograph 5
Download: SA exec.pdf
The course and consequences of the heroin shortage in New South Wales ? Monograph 4
The course and consequences of the heroin shortage in New South Wales ? Monograph 4
Download: NSW_exec.pdf
The causes, course and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia ? Monograph 3
The causes, course and consequences of the heroin shortage in Australia ? Monograph 3
Download: Aust_exec.pdf
The role of police in preventing and minimising illicit drug use and its harms ? Monograph 2
The role of police in preventing and minimising illicit drug use and its harms ? Monograph 2
Download: prevent_illicit_drug.pdf
The methamphetamine situation in Australia: A review of routine data sources ? Monograph 1
The methamphetamine situation in Australia: A review of routine data sources ? Monograph 1
Download: methamphet_exec.pdf
Alcohol and Licensed Premises: Best Practice Policing
A document developed for police services across Australia to identify best practice strategies to reduce alcohol-related harms in and around licensed premises.
Download: licensed_prem.pdf
Drug use and driving among injecting drug users
This is an executive summary only. For a full copy of this report please contact the NDLERF Secretariat on (08) 8362 3061
Download: execsum.pdf
The Coffs Harbour project
A violence prevention program for substance misusing mentally ill.
Download: chp.pdf
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