Economist Dr Paul Blacklow estimates decriminalising drugs could save Tasmania $60m a year
Tasmania’s law enforcement approach to illicit drug use is costing the state an eye-watering amount of money, with fresh calls for Tassie to follow the ACT in decriminalising drugs for personal use.
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Illicit drug use cost Tasmania’s economy more than half-a-billion dollars in 2021-22, according to a new analysis by a leading economist that has prompted calls for the state to move away from a law and order approach to the issue.
In 2017, Community Legal Centres Tasmania (CLC Tas) released a major report on drug law reform entitled The Case for a Health-focused Response to Drug Use in Tasmania’s Legal System. The document has recently been updated with a new cost benefit analysis by University of Tasmania economist Dr Paul Blacklow.
Dr Blacklow found that crime and justice-related costs associated with illicit drug use in the state, including the arrest and sentencing of offenders and the impact on drug-users, was $160.2m in 2021-22.
He also estimated that the cost of death and disease caused by illicit drug use, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, liver disease and HIV/AIDS was $367m.
In relation to health and road accident costs, Dr Blacklow determined these cost Tasmania $54.8m and $10m, respectively.
In total, the state’s economy is estimated to have taken a $591.9m hit.
However, Dr Blacklow’s analysis found that if Tasmania was to adopt Portugal’s public health approach to illicit drug use – which maintains criminal sanctions for individuals and organised crime groups responsible for trafficking drugs but supports drug users to receive voluntary treatment and education about the harms of their behaviour – it could make a saving of $61.8m per annum.
CLC Tas policy officer Ben Bartl, who authored the report, said personal drug use needed to be “reoriented as a health rather than a law enforcement issue”.
The ACT last year decriminalised personal illicit drug use and Mr Bartl is urging the Tasmanian government to do the same.
“At a time when our public housing, health and education systems are in desperate need of more funding, we call on the Premier and Health Minister to follow the lead of the ACT,” he said.
But Attorney-General Elise Archer said the government would not be going down that path.
“While we support the use of medical cannabis and have enacted a scheme to facilitate this, we do not support decriminalising illegal drugs,” she said.
“Drugs that are illegal are exactly that for many reasons.
“They often result in addiction and serious medical issues, as well as destroy lives and ultimately line the pockets of criminals.”
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Originally published as Economist Dr Paul Blacklow estimates decriminalising drugs could save Tasmania $60m a year
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