1 BACKGROUND

The Premier's Drug Advisory Council was established in December 1995 to conduct an intensive public investigation into the trade and use of illicit drugs in Victoria. The terms of reference and membership of the Council are set out in appendices 1 and 2 of this report.
The Council was required to provide the Government with as detailed a picture as possible about the use of illicit drugs and the impact they are having, or could have, on Victorians. The Government has sought advice on ways to respond to the supply and demand for illicit drugs. These responses could include legislative and law enforcement as well as preventive, support and treatment initiatives. The Council was asked to put its advice about the current situation and its proposals for the future in the context of international and Australian experience.

1.1 Council Activities
The Council undertook a range of activities to ensure that it maximised the opportunity for community and expert input. Major activities included:
•    Advertisements calling for community and expert submissions to the Council were placed in the major metropolitan newspapers on 16 December 1995 and the deadline for written submissions was extended to 12 January 1996.
•    Briefings were held with representatives from key government agencies.
•    Eight public hearings were held in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria during January 1996.
•    An issues paper outlining key questions being considered by the Council was circulated at the public hearings and feedback was invited.
•    Four specialist forums were conducted by organisations on behalf of the Council.
•    The Council met with organisations involved in local community initiatives, local government representatives and individual drug users.
•    Australian and international experts were consulted by the Council regarding prevalence of drug use, demand and supply of illicit drugs, legislation, law enforcement, treatment options, education and community development and international experiences.
An overview of the public hearing process is detailed in appendix 3. Some of the individuals and organisations that contributed to the Council's work asked for anonymity, or that their material be kept confidential. The Council has respected these requests and their contributions, while useful to the Council, are not acknowledged in this document. A list of submissions is provided in appendix 4.

1.2 Commissioned Work
External bodies with specific expertise were commissioned by the Council to undertake work in selected areas. In brief, the work undertaken included:

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF CRIMINOLOGY
•    Preparing material outlining the current status of illicit drug use in Victoria and Australia, and analysing trends and comparing our situation to relevant overseas experience.
•    Preparing material regarding policy options with regard to the range of supply management and law enforcement options.

AUSTRALIAN DRUG FOUNDATION
•    Reviewing existing education campaigns nationally and internationally, and designing a comprehensive and sustained strategy for consideration by the Council.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
•    Reviewing treatment options and their effectiveness. This work included any relevant contextual requirements and comment on their application in Victoria.