A violent machete fight at a Melbourne shopping centre once again draws public attention to Victoria’s youth crime problem. But beyond the headlines, the real crisis is the surge in repeat offences, and the question of why our systems can’t seem to stop them.

With the National Drug Strategy’s 10-year plan set to conclude in 2026, new ABS data shows youth drug offences have fallen to their lowest level since records began. We break down what this means, and where policy should go from here.