Aim: To examine the veracity of reports of a substantial decrease in the availability of heroin in Sydney in January 2001.
Design: Cross-sectional survey.
Setting: Sydney, Australia.
Participants: Forty-one injecting drug users (IDUs) and 10 key informants (KIs).
Findings: Almost all IDUs (93%) reported that heroin was harder to obtain at the time of interview (mid-February 2001) than it was before Christmas 2000 and KIs concurred. IDUs (83%) and KIs (70%) also reported that the price of heroin had increased since Christmas, and that the purity of heroin had decreased (IDUs 73%; KIs 80%). Almost all IDUs reported a reduction in their heroin use and a subsequent increase in other drug use, particularly cocaine, benzodiazepines and cannabis. Similar reports about IDUs came from nine of the 10 KIs. Over half the KIs reported an increase in both property and violent crime as a result of the heroin shortage. This crime was reportedly occurring mainly between heroin suppliers and/or IDUs. Reports from other Australian jurisdictions suggest that the shortage was not specific to Sydney.
Conclusions: The reduction in the availability of heroin provides a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of supply reduction.