FAMILY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA

DRUG POLICY

 

FOCUS

The focus of this policy is on illicit mind altering drugs, which excludes alcohol, nicotine and pharmaceuticals.

The aims and objectives are –

·        Prevent new drug users

·        Detoxify and rehabilitate existing drug users

·        Law enforcement to eliminate supply of drugs

 

A RESTRICTIVE POLICY

This policy is based on world’s best practice in reducing drug use in society, but particularly the policies of Sweden, some parts of U.S.A. and Singapore.

It is in agreement with Australia’s international obligations through treaties and the United Nations.

“The creation of a culture that is predominantly against drug abuse is the most promising form of prevention in the long term” – United Nations International Narcotics Control Board 1997.

 

PREVENTION OF NEW DRUG USERS

The keys to prevention of drug use includes –

·        Support for a society free of drugs

·        Drugs never to be accepted as an integral part of society

·        Drug use must remain a marginal behavour

·        Drugs must be illegal because they are dangerous to health, longevity, social functioning and life

·        Support for healthy families

·        Assist dysfunctional families

·        Provide accurate information on the effects of drugs

·        Provide a say no to drugs campaign

·        Use families to drug proof children

·        Educators and society to reinforce families fight against drug use

·        Educators must teach that drug use is wrong

·        Education curriculum must continuously focus on resisting harmful activities

·        Politicians must agree to eliminate the harm from drugs

·        Statistics on drug use must be comprehensive

 

REHABILITATION OF EXISTING DRUG USERS

The keys to rehabilitation of existing drug users includes –

·        Demand a reduced number of drug users

·        Eliminate the harm from drug use

·        Suppress the use of drugs

·        Early detection and intervention is essential

·        Accept that drug use is a symptom of social malaise

·        Accept drug use as a social, legal, health and societal problem

·        Restore dignity to the human person

·        Support the family to get users off drugs

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation programs must be adequate for demand

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation must get users off drugs permanently

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation must be monitored for effectiveness

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation must get users drug free quickly

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation must be manditory

·        Detoxification and rehabilitation should be drug free

·        Drug maintenance programs must be scrapped

·        Syringe distribution must cease

 

LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ELIMINATE SUPPLY OF DRUGS

The keys to eliminate the supply of drugs using the law includes –

·        All current drugs remain prohibited

·        Legal sanctions must educate and protect the vunerable or immature against using drugs

·        Quantities of drug for “personal use” must be very low

·        Criminal sanctions must be proporionately placed on those who cultivate, produce, transport, sell and possess drugs

·        All crimes of drug pushing must involve a jail sentence

·        Drug pushers on bail caught reaffending should have bail cancelled

·        Drug related crime must decrease

·        Victims of drug related crime must decrease

·        Policing must be adequate to cut supply of drugs

·        Justice facilities must be drug free

·        Justice facilities must provide detoxification and rehabilitation

·        Courts must divert addicts into detoxification education and rehabilitation

·        Victims of drug related crime must decrease

·         Policies must be coordinated at a political level to ensure effectiveness

2/10/00