Abstract
Illicit drugs, their use and the associated harms are not going to be eliminated, but their impact can be significantly reduced. The ways in which drug policy is developed and implemented can have a major influence (both positively and negatively) on drug use, drug users and those around them. Throughout public policy, the use
of best available evidence to inform decision-making is being actively sought. At the same time the provision of evidence alone can be insufficient to produce policy change.