The current approach to reducing the harm that illicit drugs cause in our community is not working. And right now, many of the things we are doing to address this issue are making the current crisis worse rather than better.
The Greens recognise that when we treat personal drug use as a criminal issue, we use vital resources to punish the individual user rather than focusing on illicit drug manufacturers and distributors who are the real criminals. We are also distracted from the opportunities to reduce drug users’ exposure to harm, and often avoidable deaths.
Good alcohol and drug policy involves a balance between reducing the supply of drugs, reducing the demand, and reducing the harmful consequences. Alison will continue to advocate for evidence based public health approaches to reducing the harm drugs cause and for prioritising investment in treatment, support and harm reduction measures.
Accordingly, after taking her seat in parliament, Alison moved quickly to call for the establishment of a select committee to examine alternate approaches to reducing illicit drug use and its effects on the community.
