For the AIC's Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, 2001 was the final year of data collection in a three-year pilot program. Funding was provided under the Commonwealth's National Illicit Drug Strategy in July 1998 to establish the program, which has monitored illicit drug use among detainees in four sites - Bankstown and Parramatta in New South Wales, East Perth in Western Australia and Southport in Queensland.
The purpose of this report, presenting findings from 2001, is to provide drug use information on people detained and brought to police stations in the four sites. DUMA provides a reasonable and independent indicator of drug-related crime within these specific areas. As an ongoing monitoring system, it enables law enforcement to track long-term changes in drugs and crime. The 2001 report expands on the 2000 report with an additional section that summarises the key overall trends from the first three-year pilot collection.
The success of DUMA has resulted in funding from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department to extend the program for a further two years.