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Welfare drug testing punishes those ‘least able to change’, former AFP commissioner says
“All of my experience tells me that this won’t work,” Palmer told the ABC on Wednesday. “Really what it will do is create more damage, and most damage and most harm to those people who are most vulnerable and most in need of support and protection, which was my experience when…
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What Can Australia Learn from Portugal’s Approach to Drugs?
An Australian politician has called for the decriminalisation of drugs in the Northern Territory, which has already decriminalised cannabis, after witnessing the successes of Portugal’s drug policy. Jeff Collins, the Assistant Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT), has called for an end to the…
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Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war a ‘deep concern’ for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australia is deeply concerned about a fresh wave of killings in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, including 17-year-old high school student Kian Loyd delos Santos. […]
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Could pharmacists dispense heroin in injecting rooms?
Pharmacists could dispense heroin to illicit drug users under very limited circumstances as part of a suite of harm minimisation efforts, says Public Health Association chief executive Michael Moore. Mr Moore told the AJP that while supply and demand reduction are important, the experience internationally from countries such as Portugal demonstrate…
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Pharmacies in Uruguay have become the first in the world to start legally selling marijuana
This week, pharmacies have begun distribution of the drug, which is available to Uruguayan citizens and permanent residents only, who need to sign up to a database before they can buy it. […]
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The American Medical Association Endorses Trying Supervised Injection Facilities
The American Medical Association (AMA) says these rooms, staffed by medical personnel who monitor drug users, lead to fewer overdose deaths, less transmission of infectious disease and promote treatment. AMA leaders, by a voice vote, approved a resolution calling for development of pilot SIFs during the organization’s annual meeting. […]
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Move Over Hippocrates: Harm Reduction as the New Paradigm for Health Care
We live in a world of rampant harms and not enough resources in health care to contain them. Our paradigm should evolve from “do no harm” to “reduce harm.” Chained by practicality, physicians don’t have the luxury of shooting for the impossibility of no harm. It’s time for us to…
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No external experts asked about Coalition’s drug test policy, officials say
The Australian National Council on Drugs warned four years ago that there was “no evidence” that drug testing welfare recipients would have any positive effects, and found drug use was not, by itself, a significant barrier to employment. The Coalition says the measure, announced in the budget, is designed to…
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Welfare drug test: which countries do it and has it worked anywhere?
Despite their high cost, welfare drug testing programs are popping up in new states across the US. The proponents argue they save money, identify and help people struggling with substance abuse, and ensure welfare money isn’t subsidising an illegal act. But critics point out there’s little evidence this is the…
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Aussie Think-Tank Proposes to End the “War on Drugs”
A powerful Think-tank – Australia 21 – which consists out of former police deputies, college professors, and backed by former prime ministers from both sides of the Australian aisle, brainstormed on how to approach their drug problem. As reported by The Guardian, the former Labor Premier of New South Wales, Bob…
