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Fact check: Is there evidence that mandatory drug testing of welfare recipients can help drug users get off welfare?
Mr Porter’s claim is wishful thinking. Of six reports put forward by Mr Porter’s office in defence of his claim, only two specifically relate to drug testing of welfare recipients and both strongly reject it as a viable strategy. The other four relate to the drug treatment of offenders in the criminal justice system. […]
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Drug-testing welfare recipients an ‘absolute disgrace’, Australian of the Year says
McGorry is the latest prominent Australian to voice his concern about the measure, which will see 5,000 welfare recipients drug tested at three trial locations. He has warned the policy fails to understand the intersection between mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction. The consequence will be to drive vulnerable Australians with a mental health issue away from the welfare system,…
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Until my son became dependent, drugs weren’t part of my world. I hope they’re never part of yours
If someone is addicted to drugs and you take away their ability to spend money on drugs, will they stop using?No, they will find other criminal ways to score, break and enters or dealing drugs. That’s why I’m naming this bill “desperate measures”, because that’s what it will induce in our community. […]
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A medically supervised injection facility matters for Victoria – and for more inclusive mental health support
The many people who died from preventable heroin overdoses were members of a Melbourne community – and their lives mattered. We can choose to be the kind of community that supports each other when people are struggling and need help. Now we need to make sure that establishing a medically supervised injection centre in North Richmond remains a priority, and becomes…
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Drug testing welfare recipients is about money not love
The personal cost and harm of this policy is much more obvious than the love. We know that risky alcohol and drug use are closely linked to living in remote and disadvantaged areas. Being marginalised and disadvantaged leads to increased drug and alcohol use, not the other way around. Targeting already marginalised people in this blunt way will only increase disadvantage…
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Inquiry denies proposal for safe injection room in North Richmond
Harm Reduction Australia executive officer Greg Denham said a safe injecting room would not only save lives but would also improve the amenity of the area around North Richmond. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Cameron Loy said injecting drugs was a health issue. He said North Richmond Community Health Centre dealt with one fifth of drug overdoses in the state.…
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Australian Doctors Clash With Government Over Drug Testing for Welfare Recipient
Hundreds of Australian doctors and health-care workers have signed an open letter to the federal government asking officials not to implement mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients. […]
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NT Government may move to decriminalise drugs in bid to tackle health issue, assistant minister says
Prohibiting the use of drugs in the Northern Territory has failed, Assistant Minister Jeff Collins says, and he will push the Government to look at decriminalising personal use quantities of drugs. […]
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Staying in The Loop: the organisation testing drugs, one festival at a time
Critics of The Loop and other similar services often lobby the accusation that drug testing facilitates drug use. But the results speak for themselves – around 20 per cent of the people who choose to get their drugs tested turn the rest in, and many who do are in possession of the most dangerous samples. […]
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Drug testing welfare recipients a ‘tick a box’ exercise that can never work
Already treatment services are full and clinicians are fully occupied. There is the idea that one might be able to purchase a treatment place for someone out of the schedules in this welfare reform bill. All that will mean is that someone else will miss out on a treatment place, someone who perhaps is motivated to seek treatment. […]
