Australian Bureau of Statistics figures say that last year Australians spent $7 Billion on illegal drugs with drug dealers making a tidy $6 billion profit. The Australian Government spent $1.7 Billion fighting the war on drugs in 2013 alone.
Will Tregoning is a researcher and a co-founder of Unharm - a not for profit organisation that aims to reduce drug harm and demand by challenging current drug policies. He says the typical drug user in Australia doesn't fit our current ideology.
"People have this stereotype that the people who take drugs are heroin addicts who live on the street or dole bludgers at home punching bongs on the couch," says Will. "The reality is that you're more likely to have taken drugs if you're employed, you're more likely to have taken drugs if you've got a tertiary education."
"A lot of wealthy people take illegal drugs."
According to The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 9 million Australians have used illegal drugs in their lifetime. That's 40 per cent of the population.
So with so many Australian's now taking illegal drugs - is it time for drug laws to be reformed?
