{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T04:00:41Z","timestamp":1790308841613,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100015003","name":"ACT Government","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["RG232444"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RG232444"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100015003","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Drug and Alcohol Review"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In October 2023, the Australian Capital Territory became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise possession of small quantities of multiple illicit drugs by law, introducing an alternative, legislated pathway enabling police to divert individuals to a health education and information session or issue a $100 expiation fine. This study examined awareness and understanding of this reform among two populations of people who regularly use illicit drugs in Canberra.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Cross\u2010sectional samples of people who regularly use illicit stimulants (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009200; Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System, EDRS) or inject drugs (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009201; Illicit Drug Reporting System, IDRS) were recruited between April\u2013June 2023 (pre\u2010legislation) and 2024 (post\u2010legislation). Chi\u2010square analyses assessed differences between years.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Self\u2010reported awareness of the new legislation increased significantly between 2023 and 2024\u2014from 49% to 81% among EDRS participants (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001) and from 33% to 72% among IDRS participants (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001). In both years, most participants aware of the legislation correctly recognised that it applied only to possession (EDRS: 94%\u201395%; IDRS: 78%\u201391%), not sale or supply. Many understood that police responses for small quantity possession offences had changed (EDRS: 76%, respectively: IDRS: 56%\u201366%); however, misconceptions persisted, with notable proportions believing police would \u2018do nothing\u2019, and\/or that it was \u2018entirely legal\u2019 to possess drugs other than cannabis.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion and Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Awareness of the Australian Capital Territory's multi\u2010drug decriminalisation reform increased among two populations of people who regularly use illicit drugs, but understanding of the details remained mixed. Many participants appeared to confuse legalisation and decriminalisation and misperceived police and judicial responses.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/dar.70222","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T12:32:38Z","timestamp":1787229158000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["High Awareness, Low Clarity: Knowledge of the Australian Capital Territory's Multi\u2010Drug Decriminalisation Reform Among People Who Use Illicit Drugs"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"45","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5337-1751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rachel","family":"Sutherland","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre UNSW Sydney  Sydney 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for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy  Canberra Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cate","family":"King","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre UNSW Sydney  Sydney Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5705-2026","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amy","family":"Peacock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre UNSW Sydney  Sydney Australia"},{"name":"School of Psychology University of Tasmania  Hobart 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