DRUG USE BY CHILDREN
Article 33 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of The Child states-
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties, and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.
The Drug Advisory Council of Australia Comments
The UN Convention clearly and deliberately outlines that the USE of illicit drugs by children should be the focus of drug policy adopted by governments.
ALL Australian governments are bound by this Convention.
Countries that have successfully reduced their drug using populations have targeted children and teenagers with HARM ELIMINATION illicit drug policies aimed at preventing or ceasing all illicit drug USE.
Children clearly do not know of the dangers of illicit drugs, so Australia needs to promote clear information to them to prevent experimentation with illicit drugs.
Recent evidence that young Australian children are being violently affected and addicted to club drugs like ICE and SPEED demonstrates the need for detoxification and rehabilitation programs for children.
Governments need to annually monitor illicit drug use by children and set a policy objective of not more than 4 per cent of children having used an illicit drug within the previous 12 months.
A child that has not used an illicit drug by age 18 is highly unlikely to use illicit drugs later in life.
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
40/2006