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exit from a treatment which is
effective, safe and cost effective.
Australians dependent on heroin
or other opioids generally have
low incomes, so the high costs of
OST should be a major concern.

It is hard to identify benefits
from the severe penalties as- “A DOZE N
sociated with drug use and
trafficking in Australia but easy COU NTRIE S HAVE
to identify serious unintended PROVIDE D DRUG
negative consequences. Reduc-
ing and where possible eliminat- CHECK IN G FO R
ing criminal sanctions should
be a high priority for drug law ALM OS T T WO
reform in Australia. Repealing
sanctions only for use (‘decrimi- DEC ADE S . N O MAT TE R
nalisation’) still leaves the other WHY C AN ’ T
half of the market illegal and H OW YOU PUT
unregulated. Such a system is AUS TR ALIA E VE N IT, D RUG L AW IN
inherently unstable. Regulating
as much of the market as pos- TRIAL DRUG AUS TR ALIA NE E DS
sible should be the aim of drug AN OVE RHAU L IF WE
law reform, although the entire CHECK IN G? ”
market will never be regulated. ARE TO S E RI OUS LY
AT TE MP T TO
Despite winning the intellectual
debate over drug law reform in E LIMINATE THE
Australia, actual reforms have HARM S A SSO CIAT-
been modest. Sustained effort
will be needed for many years E D WITH D RUG US E .
to achieve significant drug law THAT THE SO - C ALLE D
reform in Australia. This will
not happen unless the efforts “ WAR O N D RUG S” HA S
of a large number of people are CRE ATE D.
mobilised.

O NE VO I CE I S NI CE-

D R . A L E X WO DA K A M , B UT 10 0 VO I CE S ARE
HE ARD.
● E M E R IT U S C ON S ULTA NT, A LC OH OL A N D
D R U G S E R V I C E , S T V I N C E N T ’ S H O S P I TA L
●V I S I T I N G F E L LO W, K I R B Y I N S T I T U T E , U N S W YOU C AN MAK E THAT
● P R E S I D E N T, A U S T R A L I A N D R U G L AW R E F O R M
F O UN D AT ION D IFFE RE N CE .
E MAI L : AL E X .W O DAK@ G MAI L . C O M

Submissions
P L E A S E V I S I T T H E W E B S I T E O F T H E
AU S T R A L I A N D R U G L AW R E F O R M
F O UN DAT I ON : HT TP : //A D LR F. O R G . AU/

T W IT TE R : @ A LE X WO DA K

PA R LI A M E NTA R Y IN QU IR Y : SU B MISS I O N S 7 7

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