Foreword | Seizing drugs and arresting
those who import, manufacture, grow
and/or distribute these drugs is often
viewed as the most important purpose
of drug law enforcement. This view is
certainly strong in popular media
depictions of organised drug criminals.
Unfortunately, the reality is perhaps far
less entertaining or straightforward,
although just as, if not more, important.
While there is no doubt that a key role
of drug law enforcement is to remove
drugs and high-risk offenders from the
community, the most critical factor is
what this actually achieves in the longer
term. That is, a community that is less
burdened by the impact of drugs, such
as crime, illness, injury and death.