Illicit Drugs

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:48): I rise to make a contribution on a recent call for the decriminalisation of illicit substances. The notion of decriminalising illicit drugs has circulated for a number of years now but has been continually proven to be idealistic, dangerous and simply not the answer to the proliferation of drug use in our community. Last year, a handful of politicians and political commentators suggested illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, or ice, be decriminalised. Keep in mind that this is the same illicit substance that is presently destroying communities and contributing to increased violent assaults on hospital staff and emergency workers in particular, to name just a few.

Furthermore, the manufacture and distribution of ice is frequently linked to organised criminal enterprises. Decriminalising ice and other illicit drugs provides a benefit to criminal enterprises, particularly given the evidence supporting the increase of drug use post decriminalisation. In addition to the decriminalisation of ice, the same advocates are calling for the introduction of pill testing to supposedly allow drug users, especially young drug users, to safely pop these pills, as they put it. It is never safe to consume such substances. Policies such as these send the wrong message—a message which reads that it is okay and, of course, it is not okay.

It is important to continue to strongly uphold a tough community position on such illicit substances that are inherently dangerous and pill testing is not infallible, as we have seen in isolated incidents overseas. This needs to be reflected in legislation. Decriminalisation sends the completely wrong message to anyone, especially young people who are easily influenced and particularly vulnerable to the harm inflicted by these often insidious substances.

Nonetheless, advocates for decriminalisation often cite the apparent success of Portugal, a country which decriminalised drugs back in 2001 and allegedly decreased drug use. However, this is simply false when the statistics are examined closely. According to the national report to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction released in 2014, overall drug use in Portugal's general population sharply increased shortly after decriminalisation, despite the argument that it would lead to a decrease.

In the six years following decriminalisation, there was a slight increase in the use of cannabis, but a doubling in the use of cocaine and a 40 per cent increase in amphetamine use. By 2012, the overall level of drug use remained greater than before decriminalisation, despite arguments to the contrary. This trend was also observed amongst the youth population (or those aged 15 to 34, it was deemed). According to reports, some 6 per cent of students in Portugal's third cycle of basic education (that is, typically students aged 13 to 15) had used illicit drugs in the previous month in 2001, but after decriminalisation, by 2011, that figure had risen to 6.2 per cent.

For secondary students in Portugal—where they have a different education system obviously, so students aged 16 to 18—12.1 per cent had used illicit drugs in 2001 prior to decriminalisation compared to 16.4 per cent in 2011, an increase of 36 per cent according to a comparison between the reports for 2008 and 2014.

By any measure, an increase in cocaine and amphetamine use amongst the youth population is a dangerous failure of policy and one we certainly do not want to see repeated in South Australia or, indeed, in our nation. What is often ignored and downplayed is the fact that drug-induced deaths, which decreased in Portugal from 369 in 1999 to 152 in 2003 (that is, before decriminalisation), actually climbed to 314 in 2007, a number significantly higher than the 280 deaths recorded when decriminalisation started.

All the statistics show that it does not work. Any policy resulting in increased drug use and drug-related deaths should not be adopted, but disregarded, in our view. The decriminalisation of illicit drugs has failed in Portugal and will likely fail wherever adopted. It is often amusing to me that Portugal is held up as an example by those who argue for decriminalisation as a success of the policy when, in fact, the statistics show quite the contrary, that is, that there is more drug use, particularly amongst the young, and all of the consequences that go with it, especially amongst some of what we would call the harder drugs, if you like. We should not take part in this dangerous social experiment, but unequivocally reject it, and that certainly is the policy of the Australian Conservatives.