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these with you all. Hopefully you’ll find
A note from HRVic Executive Officer interest in some or all.
•Should we try to have the law changed so it’s not
This edition of WHACK is different for a illegal to give your mate a clean needle?
number of reasons. This edition of WHACK Throughout this magazine you’ll see words
is all about the upcoming Parliamentary •Do you want to see more doctors prescribe used (the lingo of bureaucrats) and the
Inquiry into drugs in Victoria. Sound dry and methadone, or an increase in takeaways? below chart helps explain their meaning :
boring? I know it does....But please read on.
The following pages are full of interesting Now the thing is, most of the money
facts and figures about the state of play The Inquiry will look at what’s happening governments spends on drug matters goes
regarding drugs and drug laws in Victoria, overseas and in other parts of Australia, to supply reduction, i.e. cops and prisons,
as well as users’ stories and lived experiences and assess whether these approaches to while the least amount of government
about the impact of these laws on our day to drug law reform could be adopted into Vic- funding goes to harm reduction - the work
day lives – a powerful mix! torian law. We know for example that half of HRVic. So no matter how much ‘they’
a dozen countries overseas are doing pill say drug use is a health issue, when we see
Most importantly, we need your help. If we testing and that the world hasn’t caved in as the massive amount of government spend-
are to make this inquiry a meaningful event a result; so we ask the question “why can’t ing on supply reduction, it’s hard to see it as
for our community, you need to be on board. we do that here at events such as Earthcore anything other than a criminal issue.
and Rainbow Serpent Festival?”
But I’ll let our new editor explain . . . The Parliamentary Inquiry is also looking
You’ll find articles in this magazine on at ways in which drug treatment could be
Hello readers. issues such as this. In another story, we used as an alternate to criminal penalties,
asked a couple of users who worked at so perhaps we will see a dramatic shift in
This WHACK edition has a focus on
CHANGE; we want to get people in- Sydney’s safe injecting centre to write about funding from supply reduction to demand
volved in a government process which will their experiences, and whether we should reduction. In this regard, you’ll find an
hopefully bring about reform and make our open one here in Melbourne, or whether it article by Tony Parsons, our local Drug
lives just a little bit easier. should be bigger to allow for smoking ice Court Magistrate, writing about the success
as well as injecting drugs? What does the he has seen with this program, keeping
The Victorian Parliament has announced evidence tell us, would we be better off, do
an Inquiry into Illicit and Synthetic Drugs Victorian drug users out of the prison
and Prescription Medication and it gives us they reduce the number of overdoses and system.
street using?
the opportunity to explain to the govern- If you want to write a submission to the
ment what actions they can take, what We’ve got a story from a bloke in the Inquiry, drop into HRVic or give us a call;
services they can fund and set up, and what Netherlands who’s on a government we can help you write it, get some statis-
laws they can change. It’s doubtful the supplied heroin treatment program, tics or evidence which always looks good.
government will legalise drugs, or even another from a user in Portugal a country Fiona Patten (a member of the Parliamen-
decriminalise them, but there are some where drug use is decriminalised – they tary Inquiry Committee) told us they really
relatively simple and smart actions they are share their stories and the benefits of living want to hear from users, so now is the time
could take. We’re using WHACK to raise in these countries. A local punter wrote to tell your story and let the government
awareness of some of the issues and try his story about detoxing from methadone know what they can do to keep you, your
and get you involved. HRVic will write a in the remand cell – all because he wasn’t friends and family, healthy, safe and alive.
submission to the Inquiry, and we want to listened to. Was he discriminated against, T AMAR A S P E E D
hear from you. was this done purposely? I am sure Tom’s
story will resinate with some of you. It’s
W H AT A R E YO U R C O N C E R N S ? stories like these that the Parliamentary
•Do you want to see sniffer dogs gone, or am- Inquiry want to read and hear about and
nesty bins installed at festivals and parties? thanks to our writers, we are able to share

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