Preferential strategies for mitigating the harms of adolescent illicit drug involvement : A multicriteria decision analysis

Multidisciplinary perspectives in informing complex policies are critical, but ineffectual when diverse differences are not adequately represented. Using multicriteria analysis, potential heterogeneity of key expert preferences for 19 drug interventions in Hong Kong was examined. Significant differences in preferences were found among academics, health professionals, and law enforcers regarding drug testing, and a range of law enforcement, harm reduction, and treatment interventions. The weighted consensual preference reveals overall support for preventative and treatment strategies, with decriminalization, needle syringe programmes, reactive policing strategies, and drug testing seen as less favourable. The results assist policymakers in understanding the profound knowledge our experts possess and building robust policy that is informed by empirical evidence generated from a commonly used method in the decision sciences. Importantly, these results can inform the development of targeted institutional and criminal justice policies aimed at mitigating the adverse harms and consequences of drug involvement.