Pubdate: Sat, 12 Aug 2000
Source: Cairns Post (Australia)
Contact: DRUG WOES

Yesterday's decision by the Victorian Liberal Party to block plans for
the establishment of supervised heroin injecting rooms in that State is
short-sighted.

Unfortunately, the decision is only indicative of the generally
short-sighted and totally unworkable Australian policy towards drugs.

Few Australian politicians are prepared to stand up and point out the
futility of the so-called war against drugs.

All that this war has done is to fill our prisons with drug users and 
petty dealers and make drugs difficult to access so that users are 
forced into undertaking criminal activity to earn the money to buy 
their fix.  

More ominously, that war has served to enrich large criminal 
syndicates, some of which now have accumulated more power and wealth 
than many small countries and which are continuing to extend their 
influence throughout society.  

Prohibiton does not work, and never will work, no matter how draconian 
the laws may be.  

The only thing that will work is an enlightened policy coupling drug
legalisation with a realistic anti-drugs education program aimed, over
time, at reducing the number of people who feel the need to use drugs.
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