Drugs are a health and social issue. Why do we make it a law enforcement battle? | Alex Wodak

We know that drug prohibition doesn’t work. And yet Australia has continued its drug policy - because bad policy has been good politics

Drug policy has been debated fiercely in Australia for decades because of the growing recognition that our policy has failed and cannot succeed.

Australia adopted drug prohibition slowly over decades but implementation intensified after the commonwealth government approved three international drug treaties (1961, 1971, 1988). Governments have relied heavily on law enforcement. According to a 2013 study by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, almost two thirds (64%) of $1.6bn spent by Australian governments in response to illicit drugs in 2009/10 was allocated to law enforcement with 23% going to drug treatment, 9% to prevention and 2% to harm reduction.

Related: People who think punitive measures help drug addicts haven't seen what I have | Alex Wodak

All the evidence shows, however, not only that our law enforcement agencies have not succeeded in preventing the supply of illegal drugs to Australian markets but that it is unrealistic to expect them to do so.”

Related: Brazil must legalise drugs – its existing policy just destroys lives | Luís Roberto Barroso

Continue reading... December 29, 2017 at 01:30AM