| You may ask: “What is Drug Decriminalisation”?
In a nutshell, it’s where people caught with small amounts of illegal drugs are given a fine and/or ordered into treatment. It’s similar to a traffic infringement but often much less! The most recent legislation has been in the A.C.T. There is proof of an increase in use and greater harm, once such laws are in place.
Sam’s Story - Sam was 15 and doing well at high school. He had a loving family and was into Div 1 Under 16 District Basketball. He also had a great group of friends. Sam caught the train to school, with a bunch of kids he knew, including his ‘bestie’, James. One day, another ‘friend’ pulled him aside and showed him a small pack of of pills and marijuana joints, saying they would just make him happy. ‘Give it a try mate’!
Sam at first ignored the ‘invitation’ but the boy persisted. He said, if you share these with your mates, I can get you more - and you can even make money out of it. One thing led to another and Sam agreed, mainly to get rid of the boy. He also thought that getting a bit of extra cash couldn’t hurt - even might get him the car he wanted. Sam had a lot of friends who looked up to him and soon he had others interested, including his bestie, James. Sam also kept using these ‘harmless’ pills, as they seemed to take away any stress and gave him a good feeling. He gave his ‘bestie’ regular hits free of charge. James was right into it. One day Sam heard his Mum on the phone, in a shocked and panicked state. Apparently James had jumped off a high balcony near a stair well in a shopping arcade in the city. He could not be saved. Sam was devastated. The mixture of pills and joints didn’t help this time. He knew the drugs had caused James’ death. Sam went straight to his supplier and said he wanted out. But the pusher’s response was not what Sam expected: ‘You know too much. You keep doing this or we will get you AND your little sister’… The direct bullying, threats and manipulation continued … Sam felt hopeless and kept pushing drugs for a while, until he had a nervous breakdown and dropped out of school. In desperation, his family finally moved interstate, but Sam’s dreams of sport, basketball and true friendship ended. Note: names changed for privacy reasons. For help on drug-related matters please contact DFA at [email protected] or Lifeline - 13 11 14 |
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10 Reasons to Reject Drug Decriminalization Policy |
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- In Australia, big drug pushers use the leniency of decriminalisation to form syndicates. This means they give individual drug users small amounts, free of charge to on-sell to others. If caught they say it’s for their ‘personal use’. They are also paid in drugs by the big pushers - to keep their habits going. Worse, there are documented cases of individual drug users, often new to the game, who are bullied and threatened when they want to pull out.
- Decriminalisation ignores the fact that individual drug use can seriously harm a whole range of other people - their partner, children, children's grandparents, siblings, friends, workmates, road users - society in general.
- Most of Australians (up to 99%) do not approve the use of heroin, speed, ice, cocaine and ecstasy because they cause unacceptable harms to users and the community.
- Huge anomalies in the pro drug lobby’s arguments - Those wanting to decriminalize drug usecondemn anyone who speaks negatively about drug use, saying it stigmatizes drug users. At the same time, they praise the reduction of cigarette use as a result of tobacco use being stigmatised. They know these drugs cause unacceptable harms. That is why they promote taxpayer-funded 'harm reduction' programs.
- Decriminalisation in other places has a track record of increasing drug use: For example in Portugal both drug use and drug deaths went up by 59% in 15 years. Portugal started off the current approach to decriminalisation and it is now a real according to the Washington Post’s current re-thinking its stance on ‘The Portugal Experiment’. (Click Here)
- Decriminalisation of all drugs in California has led to 40% of residents saying they want to leave for another State. (Click Here)
- 56% of people in Oregon want the decriminalised drug policy reversed because of societal carnage. (Click Here) of those in decriminalised Oregon want the drug policy reversed because of the societal carnage.
- Keeping drug use criminalised provides drug courts to use the deterrent of either jail or rehabilitation. This has saved many lives, as most people choose rehab and treatment and willingly participate.
- Under the Decriminalisation laws, making illicit drug use as serious as a parking ticket, (often with a lesser fine) means there is zero incentive for a user to get into treatment.
- Those promoting decriminalisation tell us that drug users do not place a burden on society. But Shane Darke, prominent drug policy researcher, says that Heroin is simply not the sort of drug that should be termed ‘recreational’ because very few people use it in non-dependent, non-compulsive fashion." (Click Here)
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Cannabis Legalisation? - Look at the Environmental Impact of the Black Market in the US |
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Since the legalisation of marijuana in several states of the USA there has been an exponential increase in the number of black-market cannabis/marijuana plantations across those states. The criminals are not going to suddenly become upstanding citizens, just because marijuana has been legalised and yet they want to join in the "green rush" to make money without paying the taxes.
They find remote land in national parks and set up plantations near a water supply, as growing marijuana plants require a lot of water, and they drain that water supply dry. It is called 'watershed depletion'. They also spray the plants with pesticides to protect them from insects and that spray affects other plants and the soil in the entire area. When the crop is mature, they harvest it and then take off leaving behind loads of toxins and rubbish and an empty water supply. |
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What's more, they use the poorest of the poor in society to do the actual dirty work for them. So they are the ones who risk getting killed or arrested, while the 'head honchos' of the operation stay safe and rake in the money.
Article and photograph supplied courtesy of the DAESY Program facilitator, Kerryn Redpath. |
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A Chance to have YOUR say - A United Nations International Survey |
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There are 11 main drug challenges that need to be dealt with both globally and in-country. For example here are just three: - Both the range of drugs and drug markets are expanding and diversifying.
- Increasing links between drug trafficking, corruption and other forms of organised crime including trafficking in person, firearms, cybercrime and money-laundering and in some cases terrorism..
- Responses not in conformity with the 3 International Drug Conventions and not in conformity with international Human Rights obligations, pose a challenge to the implementation of joint commitments …
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The survey should take about 25 minutes to complete. You will receive questions related to each of the 11 challenges identified in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration. Online Civil Society Consultation – Contribute to the 2024 CND Mid-term Review (office.com)
By doing this you can contribute directly to the 2024 Commission on Narcotic Drugs Mid-term Review.
OR Drug Free Australia will be participating in an online forum on 21 November. Feel free to share your views via email to: [email protected] before 19 November. Hope to hear from you - to help keep our emerging generations healthier and safer. |
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Staying Safe at Schoolies 2023 |
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The website below has some helpful tips for parents and students. |
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YouTube - Injecting Rooms Scam Series |
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STREET DRUGS – THE NEW ADDICTION INDUSTRY’
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The Rotary Action Group: Addiction Prevention can help you to obtain copies of this extremely well documented publication: |
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- To help educate people about the proliferation of street drugs in Australia.
- To understand why an alarming number of families have been unnecessarily subjected to addiction, family violence, increased road trauma, youth crime and preventable loss of life.
- To be part of the solution. This publication provides a blueprint for change and the capacity for all of us to help reduce drug demand.
How can you help? - Donate copies to your local library/s, schools, and health agencies
- Purchase copies for a friend or your family.
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THE WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION (AUSTRALIA) - WCTU |
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WCTU’s new website is up and running and incorporates updated information and our new logo.
It is full of interesting facts and figures, history, information, resources and links. Pray that it will be a huge blessing and help many people be saved from the SAD poisons (smoking, alcohol, drugs). Take a look and share widely - www.wctu.org.au |
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DRUG PREVENTION EDUCATION
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OPTIONS FOR SCHOOLS IN 2023 |
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Free - Online, age-appropriate drug prevention for schools for Years 5-12
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NotEvenOnce is now back within schools around Australia and the level of engagement has increased dramatically with the harms our young people are facing. Covid had impact, many are turning to substances as coping strategies.
However, vaping must be the most insidious one. Targeting young people heavily via social media. Competitions on the best tricks with the vape clouds, taking selfies behind your teachers back in class and on and on. We are loving having conversations in this space, challenging myths around vaping and the feedback has been amazing. We’ve now spoken to 80242 young people in Australia. It’s vital work, bringing the reality of health harms to young people in a non-judgemental, engaging, and challenging way. What are their choices going to be? What type of influencer are they going to be in this space amongst their peers? |
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Kerryn will work with class groups and assemblies, sharing her encounter with drugs. Email: [email protected] |
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- Introduction – explain that this session seeks your ideas, solutions and taking part in an experiment
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- Discussion: “What is a drug?” Can you name some? Did you know that Caffeine and Alcohol are drugs?
- Introduce Experiment: (Bread & sugar cube in water & alcohol: methylated spirits)
- Display Medical models: body organs (liver, kidney, heart) healthy & damaged
- More discussion: Alcohol in the brain, long term: MRI or CAT scan images; Alcohol immediate effects
- Student participation Goggles, 4 participants; Check Experiment
- Vaping movie (2 minutes 14 secs) ; discuss Vaping & Cigarette facts
- Optional – Methamphetamines - Ice (very brief)
- Discussion – Why do people use drugs? Better ways, strength-based message, conclusion.
Total time, approximately one hour.
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drug?” (A drug is a chemical that is not a food that changes the way a person’s body works.)
- (What drugs can you name?)
- Types of drugs: Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens (Nicotine is a Stimulant)
- Drug death #s latest figures (Which kill the most people? The legal ones:Tobacco/nicotine)
- Age of EVALI & other vaping damage much younger than tobacco damage.
- Comparative discussion: tobacco & vaping
- Movie “Vaping: The Hit Your Brain Takes” (2 min)
- Cigarette facts: Quit poster cf with Vaping additives
- Cigarette & vaping packaging: information provided
- Brain chemistry: human brain not mature until 25-30 years, implications of use of damaging substances prior.
- Better ways, strength-based message, conclusion.
Total time, approximately one hour with allowance for discussion
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Books available on the website:
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Or go to our Go Fund Me page: |
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