Public opinion, the media, and illicit drug policy

Public opinion plays a crucial role in the policy making process in democratic nations. In regards to drug policy, often labelled a “morality policy”, public opinion may be particularly important. This thesis aims to provide an evidence based understanding of public opinion towards drug policy (based on the results from opinion surveys), and to investigate a number of existing assumptions about the nature of public opinion. Studies 1 and 2 involved analyses of data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. The study demonstrated a decrease in support for cannabis law reform since the 1990s, accompanied by an increase in support for harm reduction interventions. This suggests that many in the community think differently about these issues. Older, married, and less educated respondents were among those who held more “conservative” opinions regarding drug policy. Study 3 compared the results from 15 different opinion surveys in drug policy, finding that small differences in survey methodology may contribute to divergent results, and therefore influence our conception of public opinion. Study 4 examined the relationship between cannabis expiation in Australia and public opinion. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between expiation and the prevalence of cannabis use, leaving a gap in knowledge of the potential effects of this policy. The current study found no relationship between expiation and increased approval of cannabis use, indicating that this policy has not “sent a message” about this behaviour. The study also found that those living in expiation jurisdictions were less likely to support cannabis law reform. Studies 5 and 6 examined the role of the news media in influencing public opinion, focusing on two treatments for heroin dependence; methadone and naltrexone. Utilising a sample of 838 newspaper articles, the study demonstrated a positive relationship between the volume of media reporting on naltrexone, and public support for this treatment. In summary, results from this thesis indicate that many commonly held assumptions regarding public opinion, including the assumption that opinion is “strong” or “certain”, are likely to be proven inaccurate when examining the evidence