Australia must reduce drug use
The 2008 annual report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlights-
- Illicit drug trafficking trends
- The link between drug trafficking and human trafficking
- Illicit drug funding of international terrorism
- Drug production area of the world
- The illicit drug trade impact on public corruption
- Drug addiction is killing millions of people each year and creating misery for tens of millions of others
- Illicit drug control depends on supply reduction and cooperation between nations
- Nations have a duty to reduce the demand for illicit drugs
(The full report is available from www.unodc.org)
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
Australia is a major target for illicit drugs because of the high demand and drug use we have.
Australia has a legal duty to reduce the demand for illicit drugs in line with our obligations to United Nations conventions that we have ratified.
By having such a high demand for illicit drugs and a large drug using population Australia contributes to the criminality, violence, human trafficking, corruption and drug production in other parts of the world.
Accordingly Australia should set a clear policy objective of substantially reducing the demand for illicit drugs and reducing the number of drug users.
The most effective way of reducing the large numbers of drug users is to divert them into detoxification and rehabilitation programs.
Lets ditch harm minimization for what works.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
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.
7/2008
