No. of 'drug-users' currently incarcerated in Oz?

[Infinitee]

Hey all,

 

Am greatly curious, as the topic title states,

To find out just how many people in Aus are currently in prison for drug related crimes.

 

ABS and google are being no help, so thought I might ask if any of the research veterans on OzStoners know the rough figure for drug-related incarcerations.

 

I thought it would be interesting to provide the figure of how much tax these people could be earning versus tax-dollars wasted just to maintain their detention at a costly facility (and they say they're running out of jailspace ... now who'd of thought?).

 

After all, politics is -sadly- just economics.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Crunchy]

i posted a thread about government statistics around a week ago, there was some good advice in that thread if u look for it, i think its under the politics section. though i would be interested also, i've heard all the US statistics and theyre very convincing to people, so we need the same statistics for oz.

[smokinjoe]

I wouldn't think it would be that many really.

[MadamePandora]

Would depend what is meant by "drug-related incarcerations."

 

if it includes crimes committed under the influence, and crimes committed to support a habit, as well as possession, growing, selling and importing I think it might be rather high actually.

[TheLivingEnd]

I agree it would be pretty high if it involves all Drug related incarcerations, because...

 

A while ago there was a study, (be damned if i can remember the link, if i find it i'll post it) , that deemed Australia being one of the highest cannabis users in the world! , higher then Amsterdam

[Razambo]

higher then Amsterdam? that can't be right??