Australian MP's want the country to Decriminalise Drug Use

[Chip (OP)]

http://www.mixmag.net/read/australian-mps-want-the-country-to-decriminalise-drug-use-news

AUSTRALIAN MPS WANT THE COUNTRY TO DECRIMINALISE DRUG USE

They want a similar system to Portugal where users are provided treatment - MIXMAG STAFF 21 JULY 2015

A group of Australian MPs want the country's drug laws to be altered.

Richard Di Natale, Sharman Stone and Melissa Parke all wish for drug use to be decriminalised, with the government instead providing treatment to users who are caught.

Di Natale, the Greens leader and co-convenor of Australian Parliamentary Group on Drug Law Reform, is calling for a similar system to Portugal, where users have been given health care since 2001.

"Individuals [in Australia] who get into trouble with their drug use wouldn't be subject to criminal penalties. Instead they would front a health panel which gets them into treatment and helps them with other things like housing and employment support.

"Instead what we've seen is a huge decline in all the things associated with harmful drug use. We've also seen more people in treatment, fewer drug overdoses, fewer cases of HIV and a decrease in crime."

Alongside Di Natale, Stone believes this would reduce drug use, as it has in Portugal, therefore putting the criminals "out of business", while a spokesman for Parke said there is a "growing awareness of the failure of the war on drugs".

This comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott admitted the country would never be victorious in the "war on drugs".

[end]

Chipper: We should really invite them here

[Cee]

Drug Court NSW has been running now for over 16 years. It is a program that firstly keeps offenders out of goal by way of a suspended sentence and alternatively you embark on a very complex and intensive program that's all about getting you off the drugs and rebuilding your life for the better.

Not everyone is eligible for the programme or gets accepted however if you do then your life is now almost fully controlled by the court for at least the next 12 months. You regularly stand before a judge who monitors your every step ensuring you've attended your counselling sessions, support groups, specialists appointments (if required), had your weekly visit from your probation officer and of course done your urine tests. If you slip up with anything it's OK. Your given the opportunity to redeem yourself. But too many slip ups and you'll do a couple of weeks inside then start fresh again when you get out. The judge is caring and understanding and gives praise and encouragement to all. Provided your giving it you all and making reasonably good progress then it's all good. If not, you'll be terminated from the program and have to serve your sentence.

If and when you complete the program you will no longer be drug depend, you will be in suitably and comfortably housed and you will be in stable employment all of which you have maintained for the several months prior.

Some make it through and some don't.

[Chip (OP)]

thank you for that thorough insite to drug court.

it really is a realistic alternative to conventional sentencing.

[Narkotikon]

I can see the benefits of drug court, but I can also see the drawbacks.  Some wouldn't want their lives controlled like that by the courts.  Some feel they'd rather serve their sentence rather than having to jump through all those hoops.

And some drug courts are better than others.  In Ohio, opiate addicts in drug courts area allowed to use maintenance meds (methadone or Suboxone).  Some even choose to use Vivitrol / naltrexone injections, although I personally hate that stuff. 

South of the river in Kentucky things are worse.  The Cincinnati Enquirer did a few articles about it earlier this year.  Only one or two counties in the entire state of KY allow their drug court participants to use maintenance meds.  It's either total abstinence or even required Vivitrol injections.

That's just setting people up to fail IMO.  As for the required Vivitrol injections, I think it's barbaric.  Vivitrol only blocks opiates from working.  It doesn't help to control cravings.  It could even make the cravings worse by antagonizing the brain's natural opiates (endorphins and enkephalins).  Plus, if you were in serious need of opioid pain control, you'd be fucked sideways.

The current drug czar came to discuss the massive heroin epidemic here (and overall in general) in Northern Kentucky a few months ago.  He officially stated his support for scientific-based treatment, including maintenance meds.  He said he hoped KY drug courts would take heed and allow the use of Suboxone (and methadone to a lesser extent) for their participants.

Hopefully that will happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't.  Compared to OH, KY is ass-backwards on this issue.