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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-10-17 Daily Xml
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Illicit Drug Use

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:27): Members may recall that my last matter of interest contribution was on the important work done by Drug Free Australia, which was established in 2004 as the peak body for organisations and family associations around Australia advocating the prevention of illicit drug use in our nation. As I mentioned at that time, the vision of DFA (as I will refer to them) is to ensure that communities, including members of parliament, are well informed about the dangers of illicit drugs and are empowered with sufficient knowledge to inform policy formation.

Other members, like myself, may be receiving regular emails from DFA as part of its endeavour to provide us with reliable, accurate and up-to-date information concerning drug use within Australia and throughout other parts of the world.

Today, I would like to draw members' attention to some of the findings in relation to the push to decriminalise illicit substances in our nation in recent times. DFA recently highlighted what appears to be misinformation that has been disseminated by some activists to support their arguments for decriminalisation. The organisation notes that certain proponents have cited Portugal as an example of where the introduction of decriminalisation in 2001 has successfully reduced the incidence of drug use.

However, it points out that only selected data has been referenced, indeed out of context; namely, the decrease in the use of drugs post-decriminalisation among 13 to 18 year olds, between the years 2001 and 2006, is often cited. But, DFA states that they are neglecting to mention the fact that drug use by this demographic actually rose again from 2006 to 2011 to an even higher level than in 2001, and that the majority of the population experienced an increase in drug use in the period between 2001 and 2006.

Although a decline in the use of all drugs was observed in 2007, this was in line with the overall trend throughout Europe, and was an occurrence that is certainly not unique to Portugal. DFA advises that the specific figures can be obtained from Portugal's official Reitox annual national reports to the European monitoring centre. If people want the full story, that is where it can be had.

There are, of course, a few other nations that have adopted a decriminalisation model, with outcomes that also strongly indicate that it would not be in our interests to follow them. Although the Netherlands has never technically decriminalised the use of cannabis, police were instructed by the government there to refrain from intervening in its sale, under the assumption that it was a relatively harmless substance—a belief which I take issue with—and that it would deter their citizens from purchasing harder drugs if a criminal element was not involved.

By 1996, however, this policy led to a surge of drug use in the Netherlands, eclipsing the rate of drug use in all other western European countries. DFA asserts that the anticipated separation of markets was a failure, as evidenced by the use of ecstasy, speed and cocaine by high school students also becoming the highest in Europe.

Looking to the United Kingdom, members may recall that the government reclassified cannabis from a class B to a class C drug in 2002, which effectively decriminalised the substance. The very same government then reversed its decision seven years later, admitting that they had made a gross error in judgement—the same government. The DFA references a newspaper article from The Independent, dated 18 March 2007, which states:

In 1997, this newspaper launched a campaign to decriminalise [cannabis]. If only we had known then what we can reveal today…Record numbers of teenagers are requiring drug treatment…[and] more than 22,000 people were treated last year for cannabis addiction—and almost half of those…were under 18.

This is the key point:

The Independent has today…reversed its landmark campaign for cannabis…to be decriminalised.

We are in the fortunate position of having an opportunity to learn from the experience of other nations in the formation of our own drug laws. I commend Drug Free Australia for its continued efforts to ensure that our parliamentarians and other community leaders are aware of any misconceptions of decriminalisation and its impact in the international community and would encourage members to use it as a credible resource in their future research on the topic. They do not leave out figures. They give people who are willing to learn the full story.

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