Why are we reporting on Australian Crime Commission data (”Australians pay high price for illicit drugs”, Canberra Times, 29 April, p1) as if there were something new in it? Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform have been reporting since its inception, almost 20 years ago, that law enforcement costs super dollars and has little overall impact.
We have been asking that drug seizures be reported as a percentage of the amount of drugs that get through to the streets rather than the sensational reporting of ”the biggest drug bust ever”. But this hasn’t happened.
The two top politicians in our country are both a disgrace on ”drug law reform”; they are well aware of solutions but are inadvertently (deliberately?) keeping the drug trade in business. This issue needs politicians brave enough (or smart enough) to explore policies that aren’t based on prejudice and discrimination but on evidence and humanity.
Politicians are unlikely to do this until organisations in the field unite and say ”enough is enough, we must have a change in direction”. This would include serious discussion on decriminalisation, regulation and control to reduce the very lucrative black market, which drives this insanity.
– Marion and Brian McConnell, CLA members, Higgins ACT
hear hear. keep the pressure on.
The world is changing. With the US states all watching Colarado, when that experiment is shown to succeed the other states will legalise cannabis. Once the domino begin to fall the rest of the world will too.
Once cannabis is legalised the other drugs can be reclassified and addicts can get the help they need rather then the fascist jack-booted thugs that we waste billions on every year to patrol our streets in useless pointless operations.
It boggles my mind that with unlimited funds and time the state police have utterly failed to stop drug trafficking. It is amazing that anyone within leaving their house can within 20 minutes get the drugs they desire.
How is it that we reward officers for this absolutely massive and comprehensive failure to do their job?