Attitudes to decriminalization or legalization
Q. Thinking about the issue of illegal drugs in Australia, which has one of the highest per capita illicit drug use in the world, please indicate which position is closer to your view:
| Sample A (N= 468) |
Total |
Have a close friend or relative (n=91) |
No close friend or relative (n=368) |
Vote Labor (n=136) |
Vote Lib/Nat (n=209) |
Vote Greens (n=41) |
| We should decriminalise all illegal drugs (including production and trafficking within Australia) to reduce the unregulated black market trade in these substances. |
8% |
7% |
8% |
10% |
6% |
5% |
| We should decriminalise small scale illegal drug use and possession, but maintain criminal prohibitions on production and trafficking. |
29% |
48% |
25% |
40% |
23% |
44% |
| We should prohibit all activities related to illegal drugs in Australia, including production, trafficking, large and small-scale production and use. |
53% |
40% |
57% |
40% |
62% |
44% |
| None of the above |
10% |
5% |
10% |
10% |
9% |
5% |
The largest portion of those respondents with a close friend or relative that regularly uses believe in decriminalizing small scale illegal drug use and possession (48%) compared with 29% of Sample A.
The majority of those that did not have a close friend or relative that regularly uses believed in prohibition of all activities related to illegal drugs in Australia (57%).
Looking at the results by voting intention, Coalition voters were by far the most likely to take the position of prohibition of all activities (62%).
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