• Pill-dumping bins and sniffer dogs to be used at Perth New Year’s festival

    Following the ACT trial, Edith Cowan University researcher Stephen Bright said the state government needed to seriously consider a pill test trial in WA. “I think there are so many new substances entering the market … from the conversations I’ve had with people, with consumers here in Perth so far it appears that the market sort of varies and sometimes…

  • A Pivotal Decade for the Movement to End the “War on Drugs”

    Of course, there is still much work to do. But in this reactionary time, advocates for sustainable and humane drug policies­, centered on harm reduction, human rights, and sustainable development, have joined together to provide a common defense and to continue building on the progress made to date. The Global Drug Policy Program has been honored to be a part…

  • The Overwhelming Evidence in Favor of Harm Reduction

    The evidence for harm reduction services is overwhelming. They keep people alive, are cost-effective, and foster healthier, safer communities. It is shameful that these facts are ignored by many. Until prejudice and fear stop ruling when it comes to drug policy, our health will continue to be undermined. […]

  • Australia needs to get with the times and follow New Zealand on recreational weed use, Larissa Waters says

    Greens Senator for Queensland, Larissa Waters said it’s “high time” for Australia to legalise the drug and we’ll risk being “getting left behind” in the world if we don’t act soon. […]

  • New Zealanders likely to vote for cannabis legalisation at referendum in 2020

    A study conducted earlier this year by the NZ Drug Foundation found that two-thirds of New Zealanders support the legalization of cannabis for recreational use. “These results show that New Zealanders are ready for a future under which cannabis is regulated,” said Ross Bell, executive director at the foundation. “People realise that the way we’re currently dealing with cannabis isn’t…

  • Australian Festival Association launches, aims to unify strategies and make events safer

    “We are establishing this industry group so that our members can develop informed and unified strategies in response to a range of issues, including event liquor licensing, drug policy, harm minimisation practise, building code compliance, green initiatives, user pays policing, event medical guidelines, and third party ticket sites. “Our aims are to make festivals safer for patrons, and reduce friction between…

  • Australians say yes to pill testing, new poll confirms

    The poll follows the death of a young man at a Sydney music festival this month. A further two lives were lost at another music festival in Sydney in September. ‘Pill testing saves lives – that’s the bottom line,’ Dr Hester Wilson, GP and Chair of the RACGP Specific Interests Addiction Medicine network, told newsGP. […]

  • Drug experts say yes. Many politicians say no. What’s the evidence for pill testing?

    Despite concern about pill testing increasing the appeal of illicit substances, research shows it can lead to less drug taking, and help people consume drugs in a safer way. “What’s clear from the results of the services operating [in Europe] is that people make different choices based on the results of the testing — some choose to put their drugs…

  • Women against women in Duterte’s drug war

    As the drug war in the Philippines becomes politicised, it is no longer just a war against women. It has also become a war among women. A UN Women Policy brief shows that women are involved in high-risk tasks in the drug trade but are paid much lower than men. In Mexico, media reports indicate a staggering increase of murdered women. […]

  • Fiona Patten moves to legalise cannabis, predicts revenue of $205m

    Re-elected MP Fiona Patten has put drug law reform at the top of her political agenda by introducing a bill to legalise marijuana in Victoria, which she hopes will gain the support of the new Parliament. Ms Patten wants cannabis legalised so that it can be cultivated and manufactured while subject to regulation. […]