NCJ Number
231405
Date Published
September 2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study estimated how methamphetamine users in New South Wales (Australia) would respond to increases in the prices of methamphetamine and heroin, using hypothetical drug purchasing scenarios.
Abstract
The study found that for the selected group of methamphetamine users, consumption of heroin and methamphetamine declined significantly in response to increases in their prices. Although there was evidence of the substitution of other drugs for the higher priced methamphetamine and heroin, the use of the substituted drugs was not nearly large enough to offset the reductions in methamphetamine and heroin use. A 10-percent increase in the price of methamphetamine led to an 18-19-percent decline in the use of the drug; a 10-percent increase in the price of heroin led to a 16-27 percent decrease in the drug's use. In determining the net effect of the price increases on drug use and switching to other drugs, differences were noted between the behavioral responses of the dependent and nondependent users of the drugs. These findings lend support to the primary justification for law enforcement efforts to reduce the drug supply, which is to increase the price of drugs so as to reduce their consumption. A sample of 101 individuals who reported using methamphetamine in the past month was recruited from primary health care facilities in 3 cities in New South Wales. Participants were given a hypothetical fixed drug budget, presented with a range of drug "pricelists" and asked how many units of each drug on the pricelist they would buy with their drug budget. The prices of methamphetamine and heroin were varied independently across successive trials, and the quantity of each drug purchased at each methamphetamine and heroin price was recorded. 3 tables, 4 figures, 11 notes, and 53 references