Drug Reform
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Nixon’s “War on Drugs” was a sham
The New York Times recently revealed that while Pres. Richard Nixon publicly referred to marijuana as “public enemy No. 1” he really felt it was “not particularly dangerous.” Continue reading »
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Our drug laws don’t work. Why not change them?
If the upcoming drug summit is anything like its predecessor in 1999 then some invited people will present research results and facts which most policy makers ignore now. It will suggest ways in which laws might be altered beneficially. It might suggest changes to make our approach to drug use more humane and more effective Continue reading »
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NSW Drug Summit Mark II
The NSW Drug Summit in 1999 produced mostly modest outcomes, sidestepping some difficult but important issues. The prospects now for beneficial change should be better with the evidence gathered in the last 25 years – but are they? Continue reading »
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Drug ‘summiteering’ in NSW
The second New South Wales Drug Summit will be held in regional centres for two days in October and the final two days will be in Sydney on the 4th and 5th December to be co-chaired by Carmel Tebbutt and John Brogden – a balance of politics. Continue reading »
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Where is Australia’s drug-fighting money going?
Australia’s drug budget heavily focuses on law enforcement over harm reduction and prevention, underscoring the need for more balanced, effective spending. Continue reading »
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The quiet champions of pill testing preventing “harrowing” deaths
You have only to walk into Canberra’s fixed-site pill testing site to have one of the chief criticisms of such schemes palpably refuted. Continue reading »
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The ACT legislated to decriminalise possession of personal quantities of illicit drugs
By the time the ACT Legislative Assembly passed legislation on 20 October 2022 to commence the decriminalisation of personal quantities of all illicit drugs in October 2023, drug law reform was already well on its way around the world. Continue reading »
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Drug decriminalisation is not (yet) legalisation
The ACT has decriminalised the possession of small quantities of some prohibited drugs. The Liberal Opposition in the ACT says this “radical reform” will lead to more crime in the Territory. It will be “chaos”. The AFP worries that they will be busier. So why is this a move in the right direction that should Continue reading »
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Back to first principles on drugs
Just why is it so hard for politicians to see a better way forward in dealing with drugs in the community and to act on that vision? It is not for lack of evidence of what works to make things better and most of the community knows that. Continue reading »
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Australia must re-assert its stand on harm minimisation drug policies
Is it possible for prohibition and law enforcement to compete against the ubiquitous and increasing use of mind-altering drugs? Continue reading »
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Should we decriminalise drug use? The evidence is in
Community support for drug law reform is rising amid the success of health-based initiatives over law enforcement: it’s time for our politicians to take notice. Continue reading »
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Scales of justice tarnished when punishment outweighs restoration
Australia has a predilection for jailing vulnerable citizens but tough penalties are not working. The disadvantaged continue to be repressed, coerced and stigmatised. Continue reading »
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‘War on drugs’ policies never have and never will work
It’s time to listen to the experts in making drugs policy rather than stick with a foolish prohibition strategy. Continue reading »
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The case for an Australian heroin trial: strong then, even stronger now
Australia once declined the opportunity to take a fresh, effective tack against heroin addiction. We should not lose a second chance. Continue reading »
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Why the ‘war on drugs’ and law enforcement is ultimately futile
A national drug policy based heavily on attempts to interrupt supply has been an expensive failure and urgently needs reform. Continue reading »
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Afghanistan is a warning for all US allies
As an ally of the US Australia should be reflecting deeply on America’s third major postwar strategic fiasco. The US military has brought overwhelming military power and technological sophistication to major defeats in Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan. In each, the allies have been let down or suffered. Continue reading »
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Perspectives from the floor of a medically supervised injecting centre
I have worked at New South Wales’ only Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (Uniting MSIC) for more than seven years and have been giving care to people who inject drugs for over a decade. Continue reading »
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Police drug busts divert our attention from policy failure
Harm reduction is used in many policy areas and found to be generally effective, safe, cost-effective and well accepted. But when pragmatic harm reduction is applied to psychoactive drugs, it is often fiercely resisted by those preferring prohibition. The war on drugs provides media with attractive eye candy in the form of mounds of recently Continue reading »
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Drug policy reform series – a repost
Attached is a collection of articles on drug policy reform, which were published as a series on Pearls and Irritations between 6 and 11 August 2018. This series is designed to draw attention to this important issue, and to the failure of our current policies. Continue reading »
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NSW Cabinet responds to a Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’
Drug policy has fallen into a deep rut in Australia: a growing consensus recognises that current arrangements have failed abjectly while governments and oppositions are unwilling to support significant reform. In NSW this past week, Cabinet was deeply divided about how to respond to a strong report recommending some modest reform. Continue reading »
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Tackling the mental health crisis in the time of Covid 19; prescribing the same remedy over and over again?
The Productivity Commission’s inquiry into mental health is recommending the same policies which have been advocated for the better part of 30 years. There is nothing to suggest that continuing to pursue them will produce the improvements that the Commonwealth government seeks. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. A Repost: Drug policy reform series
Attached is a collection of articles on drug policy reform, which were published as a series on Pearls and Irritations between 6 and 11 August 2018. This series is designed to draw attention to this important issue, and to the failure of our current policies. Continue reading »
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COLIN MENDELSOHN. Vaping, babies and bathwater. Why Australia’s vaping ban is poor policy.
Australia is the only western democracy to ban the sale and use of nicotine for vaping. Australian policy is out of step with the scientific evidence and denies smokers who can’t quit a safer and potentially lifesaving alternative. There are better policy options available. Continue reading »
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PETER BAUME. Our current drug policy is insane.
There is, in front of me, a book entitled “Not my family: never my child”. The title of that book is so right. WE are on the front line. We are affected. It is OUR families and our children who take these drugs. It is OUR children that suffer and die and cause us grief. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. A Repost: Drug policy reform series
See link below to a collection of articles on drug policy reform, which were published as a series in Pearls and Irritations between 6 and 11 August 2018. This series was designed to draw attention to this important issue, and to the failure of our current policies. The NSW Premier has told us again and Continue reading »
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ALEX WODAK. What can be done to improve the safety of young people taking illegal drugs at youth music events?
Leaked recommendations from a NSW Coronial inquiry into the deaths of six young people after taking illegal drugs at youth music events highlights the resistance of Australian governments to harm reduction and their entrenched reliance on restricting the supply of drugs despite repeated failures of this approach. Continue reading »
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JACK WATERFORD. Thin pickings from big bikkies
Britain’s ‘war’ on organised crime is failing, and it’s probably the same here Some fresh and depressing evidence for those who, like me, fear that federal law enforcement is a good deal less effective and efficient than it could be, because of the way its resources are configured, led, and under the close and very Continue reading »
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MICK PALMER. A summit on drug decriminalisation.
In describing in her findings arising from a wide ranging inquest into six fatal opioid overdose events, current illicit drug policy as “futile” and likely to exacerbate drug related harm, the NSW Deputy State Coroner, Harriet Grahame, urged the NSW Government to have the courage to commit to conducting a summit on drug decriminalisation. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. The ‘war on drugs’ is a disastrous failure.We must find a better way
Attached is a collection of articles on drug policy reform, which were published as a series on Pearls and Irritations between 6 and 11 August 2018. This series was designed to draw attention to this important issue, and to the failure of our current policies. Despite the clear failure of the war on drugs across Continue reading »
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PETER BAUME. Labor shifts on pill testing.
The Labor leadership has announced, if it wins government, that a drug summit will be held at which pill testing will be discussed. This announcement was made in the run up to a March State election and so is a political action– it will appeal to a lot of younger voters in many electorates. It Continue reading »
