National Drug and Alcohol Research Center, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Drug Alcohol Rev. 2022 Jul;41(5):1029-1040. doi: 10.1111/dar.13426. Epub 2021 Dec 28.
The present study explores Australian public support for more lenient treatment of persons found in possession of small amounts of illegal drugs for personal use.
Data for the study are drawn from the 2013, 2016 and 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Surveys. Bivariate associations were tested using χ tests corrected for survey design. Multivariate analyses of public support for legalisation and imprisonment involved logistic regression. Multivariate analyses of public preferences for various responses to those found in possession of illicit drugs involved the use of multinomial regression.
Support for legalising personal use of three drugs (cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine) has risen significantly since 2013 but remained stable (and low) for two (heroin and methamphetamine). Support for no action, a caution or a warning has grown for those found in possession of cannabis, ecstasy and heroin for personal use but not for those found in possession of methamphetamine. There is, however, more support for responding to this group with treatment, education or a small fine than there is for imprisonment.
There is strong support for legalising use of cannabis. There is little support for legalising use of ecstasy and cocaine but growing public support for a less punitive approach to those who use these drugs. There is little public support for a change in the current approach to heroin and methamphetamine.
本研究探讨了澳大利亚公众对更宽松地对待因个人使用而被发现持有少量非法毒品的人的支持程度。
本研究的数据来自 2013 年、2016 年和 2019 年的国家毒品策略家庭调查。使用 χ 检验校正调查设计来检验双变量关联。使用逻辑回归分析合法化和监禁的公众支持的多变量分析。使用多项回归分析了对被发现持有非法毒品的人的各种反应的公众偏好。
自 2013 年以来，人们对三种毒品（大麻、摇头丸和可卡因）的合法化个人使用的支持率显著上升，但对两种毒品（海洛因和冰毒）的支持率保持稳定（且较低）。对于因个人使用而被发现持有大麻、摇头丸和海洛因的人，选择不采取行动、警告或警告的支持率有所上升，但对于因个人使用而被发现持有冰毒的人，支持率则没有上升。然而，与监禁相比，人们更支持用治疗、教育或小额罚款来回应这一群体。
人们强烈支持大麻的合法化使用。对摇头丸和可卡因合法化的支持较少，但公众对使用这些药物的人采取不那么严厉的方法的支持度有所增加。对海洛因和冰毒现行方法的改变，公众支持度较低。
