Altered states: Push to make drug offences a federal matter to rein in deaths
The federal government is facing calls to decriminalise drug possession as experts warn hospitalisations and deaths are on the rise.
Representatives from research centres fronted a parliamentary inquiry into law enforcement dealing with illicit drug use on Thursday.
The experts said prohibition was not working and the Commonwealth should explore other ways to tackle the problem of illicit drug use.
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre’s Rachel Sutherland said drug-related hospitalisations and deaths have been increasing over the past decade, with deaths relating to the use of amphetamines reaching record highs in 2020.
“These harms have been increasing under the current prohibitionist framework so it’s clear that we need to change how we respond to drug use,” Dr Sutherland said.
Drug Policy Modelling Program director Alison Ritter said Australian authorities have already been practising a form of decriminalisation, pointing to John Howard’s $300 million investment in drug diversion programs in 1999.
The professor said evidence suggests decriminalising amphetamines and heroin over cannabis because those users are more likely to need a health response.
The goal of drug decriminalisation is not to reduce use but to target the related harmful consequences, Prof Ritter said.
“Its goal is to increase access to assessment, education, treatment, to reduce stigma and increase the likelihood that a young person will talk with their parent about things that worry them about drug use.”
Overseas evidence shows a reticence for people to call police for help if their family and friends know there is a history of drug use, but the Drug Policy Modelling Program’s Michala Kowalski argues police shouldn’t be removed entirely from people’s lives.
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“It’s more about … making sure that they’re responsive and linking into health services and taking out the legal harms that would follow,” Ms Kowalski said.
The inquiry also heard drug detection dogs should not be deployed at music festivals, but police should still play a role in keeping festival-goers safe.
“Having dogs at festivals (has) made attendance more dangerous for everyone because they’re using drugs that are harder to detect instead of drugs that might be less harmful in a festival-setting, such as cannabis, but easier to detect,” Ms Kowalski said.
She referred to studies showing a visible police presence and its perceived drug focus can deter festival-goers from seeking help from officers in the event of an emergency or physical or sexual assault.
