Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2015
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2015 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Edwina Lloyd

WHY WE NEED A DRUG SUMMIT

NSW has been hit by an ice-berg. Rates of ice use and detection are
crashing through the roof and have now reached pandemic proportions.
Experts have compared the crisis to the crack cocaine scourge that hit
the United States in the 1980s.

It's a problem that's careering out of control, and the Liberal State
Government doesn't have a clue what to do about it.

Trust me, I know -- because I've seen this crisis first-hand.

As a criminal lawyer (who mostly deals with legal aid clients) much of
my work involves defending people who are struggling with drug
addiction and/or mental health issues.

I am constantly frustrated by the inability of our legal system to
adequately deal with people who need treatment, not punishment. Our
system is geared around the idea of incarceration as a disincentive
for people who use and/or deal to use drugs.

I cringe every time I hear a conservative politician talking about
"tougher sentences" as an effective deterrent to drug-related crime.

Let's get something straight -- a person in the grip of addiction will
do anything to get their next hit. They are being controlled by the
drugs, not by the thought of a prison sentence if caught engaging in
criminal activity.

NSW has the highest prison population of all states, reaching 10,917
in 2014, a 13 per cent increase from 2013. Three-quarters of the
inmates have been charged with drug-related crime. Over half of those
released from prison today will re-offend and return within two years.

Given that it costs around $100,000 to house one prisoner for one
year, it's clear that our one-size-fits-all reliance on custodial
sentences comes at a great financial and safety cost to the community.

If we want to address drug-related crime then we have to break the
cycle of addiction and offending.

And the way to break that cycle is through intervention and
rehabilitation. That means providing options such as accessible
diversionary programs and more drug rehabilitation centres inside and
outside prisons.

My struggle in the courtroom is to find a way through the legal system
that allows my clients to access treatment for their addictions so
that they can get their lives back on track and contribute positively
to the community.

My passion for law reform, however, doesn't just come from
professional experiences -- it's also a product of my own personal
journey.

About nine years ago, I was working as a music photographer and
producer and was well and truly immersed in the lifestyle.

After a while the party lifestyle started to take its toll, and
eventually it all came crashing down when I was caught dealing with
about $250 worth of cocaine. I took full responsibility for my
behaviour, my matter went to court and I was not convicted.

As it turned out, getting arrested was the best thing that ever
happened to me. It allowed me to break out of a destructive lifestyle
and start over.

I went to the Buttery Residential Rehabilitation Centre near Byron Bay
and completed a six-month program. When I came out of the Buttery I
was a different person, and someone who wanted to help others find
their way back to lead a meaningful life.

I enrolled in a law degree and graduated with honours.

Five years later I was able to return to my university to receive an
award as the law school alumni of the year.

I proved to myself that with the right motivation, and the right
support, you can escape the vortex of drugs and alcohol and have a
productive life.

I hope that my story can help others escape the traps of alcohol and
drug dependency, but the occasional cautionary tale from someone who
has come out the other end is not enough.

If we are to overcome the ice epidemic then we need a concerted
government-led, community-wide strategy.

We need to look back to 1999, and learn from the Carr Labor
Government's successful response to the heroin epidemic that was
gripping Sydney at the time.

Bob Carr recognised the problem, and called a Parliamentary drug
summit to find solutions.

The key insight arising from the summit was to stop treating heroin
addiction as a legal problem, and start treating it as a medical problem.

The Carr Labor government took courageous, but life-saving steps, like
introducing the Kings Cross medical injecting room.

15 years later, we face a new enemy -- the destructive and fiercely
addictive drug ice.

It's time we again called together the best and brightest minds to
find effective solutions to this crisis.

That is why State Labor is supporting a second drug
summit.

It's time the Liberals made the same commitment.

Edwina Lloyd is state Labor candidate for the seat of Sydney.
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MAP posted-by: Matt