THE AUSTRALIAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS COURT ORDERED DRUG DETOXIFICATION AND EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION, NOT INJECTING ROOMS

 

As Australia’s premier family support organization, the Australian Family Association supports a comprehensive drug policy of –

·        A drug free society

·        Strengthening families affected by mind altering drugs

·        Preventing use of mind altering illicit drugs

·        Suppressing the illicit drug industry

·        Detoxification followed by comprehensive and effective rehabilitation of addicts

·        Maintaining the sanctions on the use of mind altering drugs

·        Using judicial and law enforcement systems to divert addicts into detoxification and rehabilitation

 

Therefore the AFA believes that only a comprehensive diversion program for addicts using mind-altering drugs will be effective in fighting illicit drugs.

 

Overseas experience, particularly in Sweden, Singapore, the USA, etc, proves that illicit mind altering drug use can be reduced substantially by a court ordered and supervised detoxification program followed by a comprehensive (usually residential) rehabilitation program to build a new life for the former addict.

 

Our view is shared by the Herald Sun newspaper which after a comprehensive investigation of overseas experiences has opposed injecting rooms and advocated laws which compel addicts to undergo treatment (Editorials: 24/8/99, 21/10/99, 4/3/00 and 28/4/00).

 

A new system of court ordered and supervised compulsory detoxification followed by long term rehabilitation (not tried in Victoria before) is the proven approach to fight the ever increasing drug use and drug deaths caused by the current failed policies.

 

Courts and police would have a real and effective alternative in handling drug-related crime, which would solve problems instead of maintaining drug use.

 

Funding for this new policy would come from diverting taxes proposed for injecting rooms and reducing taxes presently being spent on syringe exchanges, syringes, beach cleaning, syringe disposal, methadone, drug maintenance, ambulance emergencies, hospital beds, medical services, drug related crime, drug crime victim compensation, police drug resources, addict support services, drug investigations, drug experts, addict income support, prisons, parole services, coronal investigations and bureaucracy.

 

The community would save in other ways because of less blood borne infections, less crime, less addicts, less drug pushers, less security services, lower insurance, lower security costs, less drug crime victims and in particular less drug affected families.

 

 

Former addicts, after rehabilitation, would become contributing community members and taxpayers, with many assisting other addicts to become drug free, giving them work, and life opportunities.

 

Former addicts would have the benefit of elimination of risk of drug death, better health, better lifestyle, more peace, longer life and dignity.

 

This new policy would allow police to concentrate their resources in dealing with drug pushers, reducing drug supply and solving other non-drug related crime.

 

Addicts would be removed from prisons after serving sentences for other crimes and would be diverted into the detoxification and rehabilitation programs.

 

Families which are presently bearing the brunt of illicit drugs either with addicts or as victims of growing drug related crime would get relief as addicts are diverted to detoxification and residential rehabilitation.

 

This LEADERSHIP policy of diversion has the added advantages of supporting the law, discouraging use of mind altering drugs, reducing demand for drug pushers and supporting national and international drug efforts.