Drug law change no fix
I READ Chris Whitworth’s letter ( TB, 2/ 10) advocating the legalisation of illicit substances, somewhat surprised.
I thought that old theory had been discarded years ago.
Chris needs to do his research and then cite it for examination.
It is not an offence to ingest illicit substances; it is an offence to be in possession of them, along with a number of associated offences, including those related to utensils.
Secondly, apart from a few isolated communities who requested bans on alcohol, we have not had prohibition in Australia and yet still have organised crime.
I agree that the decriminalisation of possession of illicit substances would drastically cut the crime rate and we could further reduce it if we decriminalised burglary, armed robbery and car theft.
Alcohol- related offences continue to occur, even though it is a legal substance, so in correlation, we would expect to see a continuation of drugrelated offences.
And don’t forget, we regularly hear of offences committed after the non- medical use of prescription drugs.
Chris made the assertion that drug users were deemed criminals.
No, it is when they repeatedly break the law under the influence of drugs that they become criminals.
If illegal drugs were readily available, addicts would still have to pay for them and if they did not have the readies, they would commit offences to get their fix.
Methadone is freely available to registered users, however, some still commit offences under its influence.
And how many armed robberies in bottle shops occur each year in Townsville?
Legalisation is not the answer.
Controlled manufacture and distribution of drugs has not provided a huge employment boost or vast amounts of money to the economy.
For example, Australia grows opium poppies in Tasmania for the production of morphine and codeine and Tasmania has high unemployment.
Meth labs can be quite small and the product cooked in large amounts by a few people, so no real boost to employment there.
Everyone agrees that alcohol can be a problem. However, it is not guaranteed that consumers will automatically become addicted after a few uses.
And unless abused over a long period, it does not significantly impair cognition.
Not so with ice. It quickly fries the brain and users are addicted very quickly.
Just because prevention is ongoing, it does not mean we should surrender and allow a raft of harmful substances out on the streets. In the course of my work, I have had experience with outof- control tweakers who haven’t had a fix for a few hours.
It’s not something I wish to undergo again. Chris, do a bit more research. Talk to a few families with addicts and go to a rehabilitation centre.
You will change your mind and become a staunch proponent for the continued fight against illicit substances.