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Anex response to the National Drug Strategy Consultation Paper
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Anex response to the National Drug Strategy Consultation Paper:
National Drug Strategy Beyond 2009
Return on Investment
The recently released report from the University of NSW about the value of NSPs, is attracting media interest. Here are some media sources:
• ABC Lateline - NSP in Prisons view...
• 3AW Derryn Hinch interviews John Ryan, Anex CEO listen...
• ABC Radio National listen...
• ABC Radio's Fran Kelly listen...
• ABC 7.30 Report segment watch...
• The Wentworth Courier read...
• Leader Community Newspapers read...
• WA Parliamentary speech: read...
A state by state comparison of costs in the report is reproduced below:
Syringe programs return $4 for every $1 invested
Distributing syringes to drug injectors had prevented at least 32,000 HIV infections and 100,000 hepatitis C infections across Australia in the past 10 years, new research has found.
Harm reduction campaigner, Mr John Ryan, said the national Return on Investment 2 study showed that needle and syringe programs (NSP) had saved Australia $1.28 billion in health costs in the past decade years.
“Nationally, more than 32,000 HIV and almost 100,000 hepatitis C infections have been prevented by providing sterile syringes and counselling to injectors in the past nine years,” said Mr Ryan who is Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Prevention and Harm Reduction Programs Australia (Anex).
Value of NSP programmes in Australia. Source: Return on Investment 2: |
||
Region |
Av. syringes per year |
Healthcare savings |
NSW |
9,650,919 |
$513 million |
Victoria |
8,165,050 |
$224 million |
South Australia |
3,156,928 |
$93 million |
Western Australia |
3,655,328 |
$124 million |
Queensland |
6,275,248 |
$253 million |
ACT |
498,952 |
$11.5 million |
Northern Territory |
382,286 |
$4.2 million |
Tasmania |
801,205 |
$21 million |
“Only 0.1% of drug injectors are HIV positive, but 14% would be if there were not needle and syringe programs throughout thousands of places in Australia,” Mr Ryan said.
“This proves yet again that syringe programs protect the community and are excellent value for money. Total government funding for NSP nationally was only $27 million a year on average. But, that has saved taxpayers more than $1.3 billion since 2000,” said Mr Ryan.
Anex is calling for further expansion of NSP programs because only about 50% of illicit drug injections were with a sterile needle.
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