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AUSTRAL IA ’S F AIL ED D RUG POL ICY:
WHA T THE C OMMUNITY CAN DO TO IMPROVE

VICTORIA ’S RESPONSE TO DRUGS

BY D R . A L E X WO DA K A M ,

T HE VI C T O R IAN P AR L IAME N TAR Y IN Q U IR Y IN T O IL L I C I T AND S YN T HE T I C D R U G S AND
P R E S C R I P T I O N M E D I C AT I O N O F F E R S A S P L E N D I D O P P O R T U N I T Y F O R P E O P L E W H O
U S E D R UG S , T HE IR F AMIL IE S AND T HE G E NE R AL C O MM U NI T Y T O S TAR T IMP R O VIN G
VI C T O R IAN R E S P O N S E T O D R UG S .
T H ER E I S M U C H TO B E D O N E A N D M U C H O F T H I S C A N B E D O N E AT T H E S TAT E L E V EL .
T H E FO L LOW I N G A R E S O M E O F T H E I S S U E S T H AT M I G H T B E WO R T H I N C LU D I N G I N YO U R
SU B MISS I O N TO TH E IN Q U IRY.

Regulating recreational cannabis is treatment with medicinal cannabis, tinue to enjoy their drug but now
a good place to begin. After Aus- after this becomes lawful. without tar. Public Health England
tralia was represented at the 1925 estimates that e-cigarettes are 95%
League of Nations International Australia’s first and only Drug less dangerous than tobacco. The
Opium Convention in Geneva, the Consumption Room (DCR), the UK Royal College of Physicians
Commonwealth wrote to the states Medically Supervised Injecting believes that this is a minimal esti-
urging them to prohibit cannabis. Centre, opened in 2001. It has been mate. However, smokers who wish
Most of our cannabis laws are state evaluated positively in a dozen to switch to e-cigarettes in Aus-
laws. At present, four states in the reviews. Former Victorian Premier tralia face major legal obstacles, as
US have voted to regulate cannabis Jeff Kennett is a strong supporter e-cigarettes are heavily regulated.
and two have already commenced. of a Melbourne DCR. Given the It’s time to reduce the regulation of
California and some other states are community concern about the e-cigarettes in Australia.
likely to vote to regulate cannabis consequences of ice, it makes sense
on 8 November 2016. Canada and for all future DCRs in Australia to Expanding and improving drug
some other countries and cities are include facilities for inhalation. treatment should remain a key-
committed to start regulating can- Every summer in recent years, stone of drug law reform. Although
nabis. The arguments for regulating several deaths have been reported the majority of drug users consume
cannabis are now overwhelming. in Australia in of young men and their drugs of choice with few,
Cannabis is the easiest of all cur- women attending youth music if any, problems, and although
rently illicit drugs to regulate. those with problems mainly regain
events and dance festivals. A dozen control of their lives with no or
countries have provided drug
Victoria was the first jurisdiction minimal help, it’s a different matter
in the world to pass drug driving checking for almost two decades. for those with severe problems.
laws. All other states and territories Why can’t Australia even trial drug In Australia help is usually hard to
now have drug driving laws which checking? Drug checking seems to find and often deeply unattractive.
enable road side testing of oral reduce the hazards of drug mar- Drug treatment of the same qual-
fluids for traces of cannabis (THC), kets still operating at these venues ity and quantity of other health
MDMA or methamphetamine. despite saturation policing and services should be the aim so that
Although claimed to be road safety sniffer dogs. people struggling with serious drug
laws and adopted over decade ago, problems can once again lead a
these laws focus on drugs with a Two thirds of cigarette smokers normal and useful life, benefitting
modestly increased risk of road will die from a tobacco related ill- their family and community.
crash and ignore drugs with a much ness. Many people who take drugs
greater risk of a road crash. They are heavy smokers. But as was Australians dependent on heroin or
have never been evaluated. The recognised decades ago, smok- prescription opioids face huge costs
drug driving laws will result in the ers smoke for the nicotine but when seeking opioid substitution
imposition of harsh sentences on die from the tar. The advent of treatment (methadone or
drivers found to have traces of THC e-cigarettes in 2003 made it pos- buprenorphine). This delays
in their saliva after participating in sible for nicotine lovers to con- entry to treatment and accelerates

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