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Greens to decriminalise drugs
Here's an article I wrote for one of my uni courses this semester... It deals with the drug policies of three of Australia's political parties. The background for this article is the upcoming federal election.
Ecstasy and cannabis could be sold over-the-counter if the Greens’ strategy on currently illicit drugs were to become Australian policy.
The Greens call for currently illicit drugs to be “moved outside the criminal framework”. The party suggests that a strategy of educating the public on the effects of drugs and addressing the causes of substance abuse – rather than persecuting drug users – would serve Australia best.
Drugs for sale
While the party policy acknowledges that currently illicit drugs cause problems for users and the society, it suggests certain narcotics should be made available in “controlled environments”. For this reason, the Greens would work to initiate “investigations of options for the regulated supply of social drugs such as ecstasy” and allow the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis.
There is no mention of how drugs such as GHB and date rape drugs – labelled by the Greens as “drugs of concern” – would be handled by the legal system. However, the party calls for social education on the dangers of such drugs.
Allowing for the sale of certain narcotics, the Greens’ policy nevertheless promises tighter restrictions on the tobacco and alcohol industries.
Tobacco advertising would be banned and alcohol sponsorship and ads would be restricted further. Moreover, all alcoholic drinks would carry health warnings.
The Greens have come under intense fire for its approach to illegal drugs. Minister for justice and customs, Senator Christopher Ellison, labelled it the Greens’ “latest misguided excursion … into policy making”.
“This policy highlights the Greens’ irresponsible approach in relation to the importation, distribution and use of illicit drugs,” Mr Ellison said.
Additionally, the Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, distanced himself from his own party’s approach to drug availability following the controversy that arose.
“I don't back an open slather, over-the-counter system,” Mr Brown told the Herald Sun.
However, he said the policy represented an alternative to Prime Minister John Howard’s “hard-lined, narrow-minded” approach of criminalizing “everybody who falls prey to the sale of drugs”.
Injecting rooms
Labor’s (ALP) 2004 platform states that the party is committed to improve public safety by working against drug-related crime, lower the spread of disease among drug users, and reduce the use of drugs in Australia. A core element in the party’s drug strategy is “harm minimisation”.
The ALP states its support for supervised injecting rooms to reduce the “costs to the community of illicit drug use” and to bring counselling and treatment closer to drug users.
Like the Greens, Labor calls for education programs and stronger family and community involvement to achieve lower rates of illicit drug use.
However, the policy does not support decriminalisation of currently illegal drugs. Instead, the ALP commits itself to work towards national uniform drug laws, with the aim of “punishing the professional criminal elements of the illicit drug trade”.
Labor also commits to work towards better funding for treatment of drug users and supports clean needle and needle exchange programs. It promises increased funding for treatment services – whether government or non-government run – and calls for research into alternative ways of treating drug addictions.
Tough but humane
The Howard government recently released its updated policy on drugs. The 2004-2009 National Drug Strategy’s (NDS) main mission is one of harm minimisation – “to reduce drug use and the harms caused by drugs in our community”.
By disrupting the manufacture of illicit drugs and dismantling organised crime, the government hopes to reduce the supply of banned substances. The government claims this strategy, in combination with work to prevent people from taking up illicit drugs, will lead to better “health, social and economic outcomes” and reduce the effect of drugs on Australian society.
Additionally, the government strategy outlines steps to make treatment for drug users easily accessible both in the wider community and in the justice system. The NDS also states the need to educate the public on the harmful effects of drugs.
The drug strategy emphasises international cooperation to fight the production, distribution and use of illegal drugs.
It states that Australia works to meet the goals set by the United Nations General Assembly on the World Problem of Drugs. According to these goals, the world should work to significantly reduce the illicit cultivation and manufacture of drugs by 2008.
Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) CEO Bill Stronach has commended the Commonwealth government’s drug policy as leading the world.
“With recent overseas government crackdowns on drug users involving killing and other heavy punishment, Australia's focus on harm minimisation stands out as one of the most humane in the world,” Mr Stronach said.
“Our focus on drug use as a health issue as well as a legal issue has saved hundreds of lives and minimised harmful and disruptive impacts on families and communities.”
In a submission to the evaluation of the National Drug Strategy (NDS), the ADF noted that the underlying principles of the NDS were “sound”.
However, the Government copped criticism for what the ADF termed the “unfortunate ‘politicisation’ of the drugs issue at the expense of alcohol” and a “lack of commitment to serious evaluation and monitoring”.
Medicinal trials
While there are no plans by the government to decriminalise currently illicit drug use, Prime Minister John Howard has lent his support to a four-year trial to use cannabis for medical purposes. The New South Wales trial would allow sufferers of AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis to use cannabis for symptom relief.
CEO of The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA), Cheryl Wilson, has commended the trial as being a “compassionate approach to improving the quality of life of people coping with conditions such as HIV, cancer and neurological disorders”.
“ADCA rejects any claims that this is a step towards the legalisation of cannabis,” Ms Wilson said.
“We use many other drugs such as opioids and cocaine for medical purposes and this has had no impact on their illegal status, nor has it resulted in more positive community attitudes towards heroin and cocaine.”
She said her organization called on the governments to “recognise the potential therapeutic value of this drug and to support further research into the possible benefits of cannabis”.
Drug policies, the short version
Greens
- Decriminalise possession and personal use of all currently illegal drugs
- Decriminalise and regulate cultivation and sale of cannabis
- Allow sale of social drugs like ecstasy through controlled venues
- Educate the community on effects and harms of drug abuse
Labor
- Keep criminal sanctions for possession and use of currently illegal drugs
- Deter and punish professional criminal elements in drug trade
- Support state-run injecting rooms and other forms of harm minimisation
- Educate the community on effects and harms of drug abuse
Coalition government
- Dismantle organised crime to stem the supply of illegal drugs
- Work to prevent people taking up illegal drugs
- Make treatment for drug problems easily accessible
- Educate the community on effects and harms of drug abuse
Pages I consulted for this article
- ADCA media release
- ADF on NDS
- ADF press release
- ALP platform 2004
- Greens drug policy
- Senator Ellison - press release
- National Drugs Strategy
- Bob Brown - news story
- Government report card
- Prime Minister - press release
- Injecting rooms in NSW
- SMH blog
- UN drug goals
Posted by Marius Berg Askildsen
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