"The strategy has failed based on its own terms," they said. "Evidence shows that drug prices have been declining while purity has been increasing. This has been despite drastic increases in global enforcement spending. Continuing to spend vast resources on punitive enforcement-led policies, generally at the expense of proven public health policies, can no longer be justified."

In Australia, former federal police commissioner Mick Palmer, the nation's most eminent health professional on drugs Alex Wodak, and former Defence Department secretary Paul Barratt have called for governments to move from a law enforcement and criminal justice focus.

So what can be done? Victoria's new Attorney-General Martin Pakula and Health Minister Jill Hennessy ought to visit Portugal, a country that in 2001 became the first nation to decriminalise possession and use of all illicit drugs. When a person is caught with illicit drugs they are steered to a panel of legal, health and social work professionals. Most people end up with no sanction, and treatment is not compulsory. The latter is important because adults should not be forced into treatment when it is clear to all that their use of drugs is purely recreational and that they function effectively as law-abiding citizens.

Since embracing a health and lifestyle approach to drugs policy, drug use in Portugal has declined, particularly among the at-risk 15-24 years group.

The Portuguese experience has led to other nations such as the Czech Republic following suit with similar policy settings. In Uruguay cannabis was legalised in 2013, and Guatemala, tired of the cost in lives and resources that has resulted from the "war on drugs", also wants to legalise possession and use of drugs. Even in the "home" of the prohibitionist policies, the US, we are now seeing medical and recreational cannabis becoming legal across many of the 50 states.