Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2012
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2012 Allied Press Limited
Contact:  http://www.odt.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925

DRUGS AND DECRIMINALISATION

There is nothing new in the human desire to seek euphoria, stimulation
or relaxation through drugs. The ancient Egyptians did it, South
American civilisations did it, and so do many cultures and peoples
today. Plants are chewed, concoctions drunk, substances smoked, pills
swallowed and drugs injected.

But while effects can be benign and addictions limited, drugs of many
sorts have always had the potential to cause great harm. Add the
advances of chemistry into the mix of the modern world and drugs, both
legal and illicit, cause untold misery in myriad ways.

In response, most of the West's policy makers back criminal sanctions
to tackle supply, possession and use of many drugs. The United States
leads the way with its "war on drugs", while New Zealand and
Australia, in their own ways, follow suit. Elsewhere, Portugal, faced
with horrendous drug problems, has experimented with
decriminalisation, and Singapore goes the other way by executing
traffickers.

Every so often in this part of the world comes a call for change. A
group of prominent Australians last week declared their country's "war
on drugs" a failure.

The heavy hitters included a former federal police chief, a former New
South Wales director of public prosecutions, a former West Australian
premier, a former Defence Department secretary, two former federal
health ministers and a drug addiction expert. Bob Carr, the former NSW
premier, agreed to join the campaign before he became foreign affairs
minister.

"The prohibition of illicit drugs is killing and criminalising our
children and we are letting it happen," the report says. The group's
alternative would be to legalise, regulate and tax all drugs.

The tough-on-drugs approach, which had failed for 40 years, had
created social and health problems as well as a proliferation of crime
and an increase in corruption. It was also claimed politicians were
reluctant to open debate "for fear it would be politically
disadvantageous". Given the fact the group is made up of eminent
former rather than current senior officials and politicians, that
would appear to be correct. Even Mr Carr, while still saying he
supports drug reform, would now be, we were told, supporting
Government policy in this area as a federal minister.

Meanwhile, Australia's Attorney-general, Nicola Roxon, responded by
saying she was sceptical about deregulating drug laws. The threshold
for change would have to be "very high", she said.

Although this vexed issue deserves regular public debate, her caution
is correct. That is despite the fact the illegal drug trade has
bolstered gangs and diverted police resources, the current law creates
criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens and it has failed to
prevent the destructive New Zealand P epidemic.

Drug busts sometimes do force prices up, while theft and other crimes
soar as addicts strive to feed their habits.

The fundamental danger, however, is more permissive attitudes to drugs
will encourage more widespread use. Not only will drugs be easier to
procure, but there will inevitably also be a tacit type of approval
that will open the market to another large swath of the community. In
this context, it should be noted, too, that alcohol - despite being
regulated and taxed - remains the number one drug problem.

Particularly concerning is the impact on teenagers, including for a
"softer" drug like cannabis. Although some adults might smoke cannabis
with relative impunity for much of their life, its effect on
developing brains is especially damaging, and in combination with
alcohol or mental-health issues the results can be
frightening.

Surely, lessons should have been learned from the misguided lowering
of the alcohol purchase age.

Despite worthy arguments about fairness and better enforcement,
drinking has become more prevalent at even earlier ages.

Present drug policies are, indeed, far from successful. But the
alternative could well be worse, with a likely Pandora's box of
unintended and unstoppable consequences. While it is appropriate to
debate these matters, politicians are wise to be hesitant.

It makes sense, as well, to let the Portuguese experiment run for
longer and to let some other European countries or American states go
down the risky decriminalisation route before we make that move - if
indeed we ever do.
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MAP posted-by: Matt