CONCLUSION
This paper has discussed the criminal justice systems first response of prohibition, acknowledging that supply reduction alone will not combat the problem of illicit drugs. The harm minimisation approach, developed after the recognition that prohibition had failed, has been examined and the strengths and weaknesses of the three principles of supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction have been illustrated to show that only an equal balance between the three will provide an adequate measure for tackling the problem. The criminal justice system alone cannot tackle this problem; it is the cooperation of the health sector as well as the criminal justice system that will reduce the problem of illicit drugs in Australia.
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