Pubdate: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 Source: West Australian (Australia) Copyright: 2001 West Australian Newspapers Limited Contact: http://www.thewest.com.au Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495 PROMISE IN WA DRUG RESPONSE The State Government has responded to the recommendations of the Community Drug Summit with pragmatism and a degree of enlightenment. In essence, it has accepted the need for a major policy shift towards treating drug addiction as a health rather than a criminal issue. This is in line with changes in community views - as reflected by the summit - and overall is a move in the right direction. In accepting all but one of the summit's 47 recommendations, the Government has exposed itself to political risks of being labelled soft on drugs and of offending people who believe that prohibition is the only solution - even though this has not worked. But it also has put itself into a sound position to make headway in the fight against drug abuse and the social devastation it causes. The Government has not supported the establishment in Perth of a safe injecting room - such as the one in Sydney's King's Cross - which the summit said should be considered. The best argument for such a room is that it would enable addicts who used it to get medical help quickly if they got into trouble. However, it has to be accepted that a safe injecting room in Perth probably would not be well used because of the city's relatively low population density. The Government says that it accepts the recommendation that addicts for whom no treatment works should get prescribed heroin in a State-run trial - probably the most controversial proposal by the summit and the one least likely to attract broad community support. But this will not happen because the Federal Government is opposed to it. This is just as well. Such a project would legitimise heroin use, make the Government a supplier and encourage some young people to take the view that if they became addicted they could turn to the State for free heroin. Some people will also object to the Government's decision to liberalise cannabis laws. However, it can be argued that it has done little more than to acknowledge the reality that marijuana use is widely spread, as is the acceptance of its use. The Government plans to change the law so that personal users who have one or two cannabis plants or up to 25g of marijuana will be fined but not have a criminal conviction recorded against them. One of the problems associated with this is that a lot more than 25g of marijuana could be harvested from two plants. Another is that 25g is quite a big amount - it has been reported that one gram would make between five and 10 marijuana cigarettes. There is a need for the Government to rethink some of the details of this policy. Also, given that the removal of the fear of criminal conviction might encourage some people to grow plants and become regular users, a big moral responsibility falls on the Government to make sure that West Australians are properly informed about the potential dangers of marijuana use - such as possible psychosis. However, some reservations aside, it is clear that the Government has embraced a set of proposals which collectively should help to prevent people - particularly the young - from developing serious drug problems and give those who do a better chance of recovery. The test now will be in the money and effort it is prepared to invest in carrying out its policies. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth