Drugs costing business billions

[postman]

* Illicit drug use cost business $3.3bn

* Causing reduced workforces, absenteeism

* Problem more "balanced business-type approach"

 

THE authors of a new study showing illicit drug use cost Australian business $3.3 billion in one year say the law enforcement approach to drugs has failed to protect people and commerce.

 

The Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation today released what it claims is the first known Australian study to quantify the cost of illicit drug use.

 

The foundation said illicit drug use in 2003 cost Australian business $3.3 billion, or two per cent of that year's corporate profits.

 

Reduced workforce, absenteeism

 

The Three Billion Dollar Question for Australian Business report counted the cost mostly in terms of drugs' effect on labour - including a reduced workforce and absenteeism.

 

"The illicit drugs market draws resources away from legitimate businesses supplying legal goods and services and paying their fair share of taxes," the report compiled by economists said.

 

"If illicit drugs were reduced the business sector would benefit not only from reduced labour costs and a bigger workforce but also from reduced drug-related property crime and corruption, and higher consumer demand for legally supplied products.

 

"The potential for increased business efficiency could lead to greater export competitiveness, better worker and management rewards, higher profits and higher returns to shareholders."

 

Law enforcement "a failure"

 

Foundation president Alex Wodak said a new approach to drugs was needed after the costly law enforcement approach had largely failed to protect people.

 

"We would prefer to see a more balanced business-type approach to this problem where governments invest according to the return on investment," Dr Wodak said.

 

"We know that return on investment is very good with drug treatment, harm reduction and social services.

 

Follow worldwide examples

 

"Other governments around the world have already stopped pretending we can arrest and imprison our way out of this problem.

 

"We have to move away from the 'war against drugs' language and recognise this is a problem that is not going to be solved by the I'm-tougher-than-you-are approach."

 

Dr Wodak said it had been proven that a health and social welfare approach to drugs shrinks the drug market to a size law enforcement agencies can tackle.

 

"The problem now is the drug industry is so large that there is no possibility that drug law enforcement can succeed. It's set up to fail," he said.

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21603814-2,00.html

[SukonmiSkunk]

may be some of the money that the people who make codral and sudefed cold and flue tablets which are used to make these drugs can put some of that back into the community...

 

the chemical companies make billions from selling these so called medicines.. i think it evens itself out..

 

easy way to deal with the ICE problem... take the legal drugs off the market which are used to make them....

 

if any one has seen the Australian made doco called the ice epidemic... youd know... they interview a guy from sigma.. i think is the company.. and he stated plain and true they make too much money from selling these medicines... and of course profits will always win over the benifit of the people....

[Indycar]

If "The illicit drugs" was costin' business $3.3bn a year. What would "prescribed drug" use be costing businesses a year? Not forgetting alcohol and/or cigarettes...

 

The Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation today released what it claims is the first known Australian study to quantify the cost of illicit drug use.

 

Pretty piss poor of them to target one tiny piece of the big picture. For everyone concerned, do up a pie graph and show percentages of all things that contribute to business costs over an entire year.

 

But then again, the way they got there guesstimate leaves a lot of questions unanswered...

 

[SmellyArab]

Taking the pseudoephedrine containing products etc off the market isn't going to stop the production of meth in this country, people will always find a way to produce the drug even if it means recycling the urine of meth users (yes this is already done).

 

I also think a lot of people who already have the view in regard to cannabis need to realise that other recreational drugs arn't the bane of our existence and can be used responsibly as well. Society will always have its small portion of fuck ups but you don't make the rules based on that minority.

 

Legalise and regulate to stop induced crime and real criminals exploiting recreational drug users!

[thc24]

alot of 25mg ephidrin tablets still comming in from asia so taking sudafed off the shelves and made perscription only would only make a small dent in the amount of ice we get here.

 

But agree with sukonmi skunk the companys profiting from these extra sales need to put back into the community.

 

Nearly every time im waiting at the chemist theres a hand full of people needing to show id to get there sudafed and constant reports of sudafed being the target of the latest chemist robbery, just last week the chemist down the road lost 5 boxes nothing else stolen to me that sounds like alot of cold and flu tabs to have just lying around..

[Jess Stone]

I just saw on ABC news about this story ,I assumed it would go the way of a news item I seen last week April 18th NSW Police Comm. says ,"alcohol worse than ALL illegal drugs combined" ,which appeared NO where else not even an online story [none I could find] !

Here is there website its under construction, The Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation They seem to be ANTI-prohibitionists,Dr Alex Wodak is a member,the ABC 7:30Report has them on NOW or you can watch it at your leisure 7:30 Report

[urbanfarmer]

I often wonder about the profits of plastic baggy manufacturers and if they acknowledge their contribution and profit from the drug culture

[Jess Stone]

I often wonder about the profits of plastic baggy manufacturers and if they acknowledge their contribution and profit from the drug culture

What about Orchy Orange? They have a lot to answer for as well,in the darkest days(returning soon apparently ,Melbourne "ICE" pipe seizure last week!) of anti-bong "Reefer Madness" in NSW and Queensland late 70's,early 80's the juice bottle and garden hose bong was known colloquially as an "Orchy Bong" whether it was made with an Orchy bottle or not! (or Nylex Garden Hose company and the aluminium industry and the mining industry who mine the bauxite to make the aluminium )

 

Interestingly it was a story on Lateline Business probably by tomorrow you can watch the story and see interviews with the head of the ADLRF and Dr.Alex Wodak ,I must say my take on them is a cautious but I qualify that with some reservation , as they mention some words that because all drugs seem to be lumped together however, CLEARLY cannabis and heroin are not comparable for instance ,they share NOTHING in common other than there legal status,nothing else ,so when talk turns to workplace accidents and insurance and "DRUGS" without cannabis being treated as a different issue to all other illegal drugs worries me .

Edited April 23, 2007 by Jess Stone

[Vicious]

so when talk turns to workplace accidents and insurance and "DRUGS" without cannabis being treated as a different issue to all other illegal drugs worries me .

 

I couldn't agree more. I'm fucking sick of being looked at as a junkie because I smoke pot. You get lumped in with every other drug user, it's ridiculous.

[Jess Stone]

If you can read this - STANDING COMMITTEE ON FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES,Thurs. 3rd 2007 - (Dr Wodak of ADLRF testified)- without.....

 

1]Getting angry

 

2]wanting to punch Bronwyn Bishop's nose up her beehive

 

3]want to kick "Dr" Gould in the ass,this BIZARROID "Dr" waffles on about unrelated and unconnected "facts" that he has no proof of and when asked, FINALLY ,for peer-reviewed proof ,he conveniently didn't have them with him he is a classic in the vein of Grampa Simpsons tactic of long waffling stories that "go no where" ,even Bishop's bambozzled (probably easy after you read Wodak's rip into her) by this Herr "Dr" insane ramblings .

 

4]Flush "Tough love" and the other religious 'force OUR weirdo opinions on everyone else' nutter-fuckwits.

 

5]not slapping up the pc

 

6]Shake Dr Wodak's hand for standing up to speak out against the religious nutters who comprised most of the witness guest spots to submit to this hearing and ripping into Bishop .

 

This Bishop FUCKWIT is the exact reason I call fuckwits like her FUCKWITS ! What a rude ,arrogant SLAPPER CUNT!

ps. sorry I have restrained from being this abusive at OzStoners lately but these FUCKWITS got under my skin,please bring on a Federal election as soon as possible these fuckwits have to go!

Edited April 25, 2007 by Jess Stone