Drug Policy Australia in Caulfield North, Victoria | Community organisation

Drug Policy Australia

Locality: Caulfield North, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9017 3777

Address: 4/22 Narong Road 3161 Caulfield North, VIC, Australia

Website: https://www.drugpolicy.org.au

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25.01.2022 Cocaine and Cannabis use is at record highs, increased vaping by young people, but cigarette, alcohol consumption down according to the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019. Significantly, due to an increase in advocacy efforts by organisations like Drug Policy Australia and others, Australians are increasingly supportive of cannabis use with most people now support pill-testing. Do you think that Australia should stop arresting peop[le for drugs?... Here's the link to the full report. https://www.aihw.gov.au//nation/contents/table-of-contents

25.01.2022 The drug laws have always been used as a shield for racism. George Floyd" drew his last breath after one police officer knelt on his neck and another taunted dont do drugs, kids to the gathered crowd. The drug laws have served as a justification by police to dehumanize, strip dignity from, and ultimately persecute people of color the world over.... Unfortunately, Australian governments and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission do not keep records of drug arrests of indigenous Australians but this article highlights the tip of the problem. Indigenous youth are less likely to be offered drug diversion. Drug policy Australia would be interested and any research into drug arrest and imprisonment of indigenous Australians.

24.01.2022 Should Australia decriminalise ALL DRUG USE? (ie do not charge drug users with a criminal offence) This would make possession and use of cannabis or cocaine the same as using cigarettes or tobacco which is not good for your health but not criminal. This is what is proposed in Canberra and recently discussed by the NSW cabinet. This is how it has been in Portugal for 20 years. Surely it is time for Australia to decriminalise drugs?

23.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS: US Election Oregon has become the first US state to DECRIMINALISE ALL DRUGS. In a voter initiative, Oregon passed the first state law in the US to decriminalise possession of hard drugs including, heroin, cocaine, and LSD.... In a separate ballot, Oregon voters also approved a measure making it the first state to legalise the therapeutic use of psychedelic mushrooms. Is now the time for Australia to decriminalise all drugs too?

23.01.2022 Like the Vietnam and Iraq wars, Australia followed America into the War on Drug Users with devastating results. Every 25 seconds in the United States, someone is arrested for possessing drugs for their personal use. Last year In Australia 77,549 mostly young Australians were arrested for Cannabis offences. That's one arrest every 7 minutes for Cannabis in Australia.... Many lost fundamental liberties, such as equal access to employment and travel opportunities for the rest of their lives. Many also lost their licences and their jobs. In a country that prides itself on being fair-minded, surely such punishment is disproportionate? Is a life sentence for using Cannabis fair? Do we still need to blindly follow the American war on drugs?

23.01.2022 Due to the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 virus, our "Is it time to legalise drugs?" forum in Sydney has been postponed until later in the year, most likely October 2020. We will advise all ticket holders when a firm date is decided with the option to refund their ticket if they can not attend on the alternate date. Please contact us for any enquires. Thank you for your patience in this difficult time. Greg Chipp... Managing Director https://www.facebook.com/events/213921669787900/

23.01.2022 The drug laws are dangerous at the best of times. Let's try an experiment. Decriminalise all drugs until the end of the pandemic. Join Drug Policy Australia in calling for a moratorium on all consumer drug arrests during CONVID-19.... What do you think?

22.01.2022 The drug war is a racist war. One of Richard Nixon's top advisers said the war on drugs was created as a political tool to fight blacks, according to an interview published in Harper's Magazine. "The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people," former Nixon domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman said.... 50 years later, whether it is the US, Australia, or England people of colour are disproportionally charged with drug offences.

22.01.2022 Keep yourself and your friends safe with this multiple drug reagent testing kit (also known as a pill testing). This reagent test kit allows you to easily check for known psychoactive chemicals such as MDMA, Amphetamine, Ketamine and LSD, as well as common, harmful adulterants. Much safer and economical than cheaper, 'one-hit' tests that only test for one substance.... Each Pill Testing Kit contains enough reagent for approximately 400 tests. Chemicals are stable at room temperature and can be stored for 3 years. Drug Testing Reagent Kits are an essential safety item for your medicine cabinet.

22.01.2022 Why do some people show little empathy for drug users? Dr Gabor Maté says it's because not enough of us recognize the intense personal trauma that pushes a person to become dependent on illicit substances. "In our society, we tend to look at people's behaviours, rather than ask what is behind the behaviour," explained the physician and renowned addictions expert.... Do addicts deserve their addiction?

21.01.2022 Should we give medical-grade heroin to long term addicts? The idea is not as radical as it seems. Switzerland has been doing this for 20 years. Heroin Assisted Therapy (HAT) is saving lives in England, Canada and Europe.... It may seem counterintuitive but treating long term heroin addicts with heroin improves their health, employment, housing and chance of recovery. An even more surprising result of this approach is that it dramatically reduces the number of new heroin users due to a decline in the number of non-using friends who become users via friendship chains. Surely, it’s better to keep an addict alive with at least a chance of recovery? More information: https://www.drugwarfacts.org/region/switzerland

21.01.2022 PROHIBITION IS KILLING CHILDREN. Children are 'collateral damage' in the Phillippines war on drug users, says UN report. Since Rodrigo Duterte, started his war on drugs it is estimated that between 8,000 and 24,000 Filipinos have been killed... The report found 73 children had been killed in the campaign against drug users. Of those, 62 were boys and 11 girls, although the figures were not exhaustive. The youngest victim was five months old, it said. One child whose father was killed by death squads, given the pseudonym Jennifer, said she was "confused because I still don't understand why". "Why my Papa? Of all the people here, why did they pick my father? I am so angry," she said in the HRW report.

20.01.2022 The UN's powerful Commission for Narcotic Drugs finally removed marijuana from the list of Schedule IV narcotics in the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The list includes opioids, such as heroin and various kinds of fentanyl) Additionally, the commission rejected a proposal to include THC in the 1961 convention, which could have led to stricter marijuana laws. The vote was close at 27/25. Ironically the United States, that instigated the treaties 60 years ago voted ...yes, while authoritarian regimes such as China, Russia, Nigeria, and Egypt voted no. In another significant development, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to decriminalise cannabis at the national level. It still needs to pass the Senate but is an important milestone in US politics which was responsible for the worldwide an on Cannabis.

19.01.2022 Language Matters! At FDS we have always tried to avoid using negative labels such as junkie, druggie and addict which tend to shame and stigmatised people who u...se drugs and by association their families. We would rather use terms like substance user, people who use drugs, drug dependant etc. We also try to avoid using common ideas and concepts which really do not help families deal with substance issues, these include; ‘Rock bottom’ - many people come out of drug use or problematic drug use without ever getting close to rock bottom, while unfortunately for some people rock bottom is never a place they come back from. So as an idea it has no logical merit ‘Clean’ - what people mean when they say clean is when a person hasn't used drugs for a certain amount of time, why not use the actual descriptor ‘not used for 1-2 year’ etc. The other negative element to this idea, is that whilst they are not using they are clean and if they use again they become dirty. ‘Enabling’ - this is a dreadful label that often gets applied to families that are struggling to keep their family member safe and are applying harm reduction strategies. We reject this idea because we always believe families are always doing the best they can in the circumstances they are in. When we avoid these labels and concepts, we are showing respect to everyone, which has been proven to have better outcomes than shaming and blaming. Our Stepping Forward program goes into more detail about this, and any queries please contact our support line on 1300 368 186. Please also see our website www.fds.org.au See more

19.01.2022 Greg Chipp discusses the Victorian Cannabis Inquiry on 3RRR, Velcro Couch with Dan Teitlebaum and Steph Teitlebaum. The Inquiry looks like a political stunt to placate reformers. The negative Terms of Reference are loaded with the usual misinformation about cannabis.... What do you think? TOR'S 1. Prevent young people and children from accessing and using cannabis in Victoria; 2. Protect public health and public safety in relation to the use of cannabis in Victoria; 3. Implement health education campaigns and programs to ensure children and young people are aware of the dangers of drug use, in particular, cannabis use; 4. Prevent criminal activity relating to the illegal cannabis trade in Victoria; 5. Assess the health, mental health, and social impacts of cannabis use on people who use cannabis, their families and carers; The closing date for submissions is Monday, 31 August 2020.

19.01.2022 The war on drug users is a human rights and social justice issue.

16.01.2022 Next, week, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), will vote on rescheduling cannabis. This vote has is an opportunity of correcting a catastrophic historical mistake namely, "that cannabis is a substance with negligible medical or therapeutic value."

16.01.2022 What is addiction? Is it a disease, a moral failing, merely learnt behaviour or something else entirely? The truth is, we just do not know. We often assume addiction is the problem, but the real question is what causes the addiction? Understanding addiction is essential to helping people. How should a compassionate society respond to addiction? ... To find some answers do not miss the last instalment of Addiction Australia on SBS tomorrow night at 8:30. #RethinkAddiction #AddictedSBS

16.01.2022 There's strong support for legalisation of cannabis and pill testing. Cannabis and ecstasy use are up also according to the latest 2019 Drug Strategy household survey.

16.01.2022 Addiction is not a disease. Nor is it a moral failing. Addiction is not necessarily related to a drug. People get addicted to many things including video games, work, and exercise for example. These are compulsive behaviours no more or less than heroin, cannabis, tobacco, alcohol addiction. Gambling addiction is a good example of an addiction that has nothing to do with a physical drug. ... "Trying to eliminate drugs is a fools errand. Such an aim is for those on a moral crusade. It is not really about saving people from addiction, but about saving their souls for eternal life or other moral objectives." What do you think? Read the full article.

15.01.2022 Alcohol vs Cannabis in the time of COVID. Only Alcohol can be physiologically addictive. Only Alcohol can poison you. Only Alcohol can kill you.... Only Alcohol can make you violent. Only Alcohol can be home delivered. Only Alcohol can be purchased on credit. Only Alcohol is legal? Can anyone tell me why? Did you know Alcohol causes nearly 6,000 Australian deaths a year.

15.01.2022 Great to see local support services stepping in & focusing on those often forgotten.

14.01.2022 Arresting people for drug possession serves no good purpose, especially during a pandemic. Over a third of Australians have used an illicit drug. Why don't we just stop arresting people and put the money into health service?... Do you support a moratorium on drug arrests for 1 year?

13.01.2022 Please support our call for MORATORIUM ON CONSUMER DRUG ARRESTS during the pandemic. Drug Policy Australia is deeply concerned about those most vulnerable during the COVID-19 crisis, including people in prisons, indigenous Australians, people without housing, people who use drugs, and people in treatment. Do you support a MORATORIUM ON CONSUMER DRUG ARRESTS during the pandemic?

13.01.2022 Mothers Against Prohibition. What would you do if your child was killed in the war on drugs? The war on drug users is an attack on our children and their futures. ... Support Don't Punish 2020 Adriana Buccianti, Cherie Short Tony Trimingham Supportdontpunish #supportdontpunish

12.01.2022 Did you know that drug possession charges have increased dramatically during the COIVID Crisis? Petition re police powers: We urge the Victorian Government to implement the recommendations from the 2018 IBAC inquiry. Victorians must be able to make complaints about police and PSO conduct to an independent body to avoid any conflict of interest.

12.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS. This is big. DRUG WON THE US ELECTION. In a voter initiative, Oregon is set to decriminalise possession of all drugs including, cocaine and heroin.... Also, Joe Biden, who is likely to become the 46th President of the United States, announced that he would decriminalise personal drug possession.

12.01.2022 A passionate call for Cannabis legalisation by Rose Jackson, a NSW labour politician.

11.01.2022 Did you know there were 72,381 arrests for Cannabis in 2017-18? Only 8% of those arrests were for trafficking. Cannabis is now legal in Canada, Uruguay and half of America. As Rose argues, isn't it time we got in step with the rest of the world that has either legalised or decriminalised Cannabis?... Should Australia Legalise Cannabis? What do you think?

11.01.2022 Pill Testing kits available.

10.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS. This is big. DRUG REFORM WINS THE US ELECTION! In a voter initiative, Oregon will decriminalise possession of all drugs including cocaine, amphetamine and heroin. In the election, five more US states voted to legalise cannabis, bringing the total number of American states with legalised cannabis to 16.... Also, President-elect Joe Biden announced during the last presidential debate that he favours decriminalising cannabis and not jailing anyone for drug use. He said, "I don't believe anybody should be going to jail for drug use". Prohibition is like a wall that doesn't work with gaps in it, which is why, in the sixties, the US government pushed drug prohibition on the world through the UN drug treaties. It is ironic that America, the home of the drug prohibition, should now be the genesis of its undoing. With Oregon following Portugal to decriminalise the personal use of all drugs, surely it is just a matter of time before Australia and the rest of the world follows. Should we decriminalise ALL DRUGS? (ie make drug use a health, not a criminal issue?)

10.01.2022 Over 60,000 people were arrested for Cannabis in 2018 according to the latest Australian Crime Commission Illicit Drug Report. 92% of these arrests were for consumer only offences. Cannabis is now legal in Canada, Uruguay and half of America.... Isnt it time Australia got in step with the rest of the world and just legalised Cannabis? What do you think? More Information: https://www.acic.gov.au///illicit-drug-data-report-2017-18 http://www.drugpolicy.org.au/

10.01.2022 Should we prescribe heroin to those suffering from heroin addiction? It may seem counterintuitive but Heroin Assisted Treatment (HAT) has been proven successful in several countries, including England, Canada Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Over 10000 Australian have died of Opioid-related causes in the last 20 years and over 2000 in 2018.... Heroin assisted treatment has the potential to keep addicts alive while they receive treatment for their underlying issues feeding their addiction. What do you think?

09.01.2022 What would Jesus do? End the persecution of people that use drugs. End the war on drug users.... End prohibition for good!

09.01.2022 There were 2,070 drug overdose deaths in 2018. Stigma and discrimination are to blame for the rising number, experts say. Opioid dependence expert, Dr Gabrielle Campbell said the main problem was stigma and discrimination in both doctors and patients.... She said there was a tendency to treat addiction to pharmaceutical drugs differently to illicit drugs, which should not be the case. "We know that the really good things used for opioid therapy for heroin, could be used for people experiencing opioid dependence methadone and buprenorphine," she said. "The problem with that is the stigma associated with it the stigma associated with methadone and buprenorphine is that it's used for people dependent on heroin."

08.01.2022 The Queensland Government spends half a Billion Dollars ($500 million) a year on drug law enforcement. The Queensland Productivity Commission recommends decriminalising drugs and that "all available evidence" shows the war on drugs fails to restrict usage or supply. Yet the Government refuses to listen and says "Just Says No to drugs."... Is this dedicated stupidity, willful ignorance or just blind prejudice?

08.01.2022 NSW cabinet is considering one of the recommendations of the Ice Inquiry to decriminalise drug use and possession. Recently two parents who lost their children to a drug overdose pleaded with politicians to stare down critics of the plan and decriminalise drugs to save lives. The cabinet proposal is a limited form of decriminalisation where only first-time offenders get a diversion. Further offences face escalating penalties culminating in a criminal conviction after the thir...d offending. Nonetheless, we support the change as a small step in the right direction.

08.01.2022 The War on Drugs is failing according to the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey. Cannabis, Cocaine and Ecstacy use has increased significantly in the three years to 2019. Cannabis use went up 11.5%.... Ecstasy use increased by 36%. Cocaine use skyrocketed by a whopping 68%. Surely after 50 years of prohibition, it is time to legalise and regulate these drugs? Here the link to the full report. https://www.aihw.gov.au///aihw-phe-270-NDSHS-2019.pdf.aspx

07.01.2022 There were 72,381 arrests for Cannabis in 2017-18? Of those 92% of those arrests were personal use only. Cannabis is now legal in most of half of America and Canada.... Isn't it time we caught up with the rest of the world and ended the war on cannabis users? Should Australia Legalise Cannabis? What do you think?

07.01.2022 Support Drug Policy reform during the lockdown with one of our iconic T-shirts. All sizes of women and men's.

07.01.2022 The NZ cannabis referendum results are due at 2.00 pm today. If passed it would be a watershed moment for cannabis law reform in Australia. Could Australia ignore cannabis tourism across the Tasman?... Does Australia need a plebiscite on legalising cannabis?

07.01.2022 Drug prohibition does not stop young people from using drugs. It actually makes using drugs more dangerous. What if we legalised ecstasy making it available under prescription from a doctor and dispensed from a pharmacy? Would supplying the market with a safe product of known strength reduce ecstasy related deaths?... A regulated drug market would control quality, dosage and safety information on the packaging which could eliminate most accidental ecstasy-related deaths. Surely those Australians who are going to use recreational drugs regardless, would be safer if the government controlled the market as it does for alcohol? What do you think? More information on our website. https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/ You can support Drug Policy Reform by donating on our website.

06.01.2022 The Victorian Parliamentary Cannabis Inquiry has very negative Terms of Reference loaded with the usual propaganda, misnomers and assumptions. What about examining the effect of random roadside cannabis testing on families or the effect of a cannabis criminal conviction on young people? Why aren't they looking into how to best legalise and regulate cannabis?... Instigated by Fiona Patten of the Reason Party the disappointing TOR's are obviously a compromise with the Government to get their support for the inquiry. Let's hope that the recommendations are not also a weak compromise as were the recommendations of the previous drug inquiry. The closing date for submissions is Monday, 31 August 2020. TOR'S 1. Prevent young people and children from accessing and using cannabis in Victoria; 2. Protect public health and public safety in relation to the use of cannabis in Victoria; 3. Implement health education campaigns and programs to ensure children and young people are aware of the dangers of drug use, in particular, cannabis use; 4. Prevent criminal activity relating to the illegal cannabis trade in Victoria; 5. Assess the health, mental health, and social impacts of cannabis use on people who use cannabis, their families and carers;

06.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS FROM THE US Oregon is set to DECRIMINALISE ALL DRUGS similar to what was done in Portugal 20 years ago. Also, Joe Biden, who is likely to become the 46th President of the United States, announced that he would decriminalise personal drug possession.... Is it time Australia decriminalised personal drug possession?

05.01.2022 Over prescription of opioids is a problem. But depriving those with legal addictions is not the answer and is often deadly. We need a more nuanced and humane approach to addiction that addresses the underline human issues that cause addictive behaviour.... What is addiction anyway?

05.01.2022 Massive support for pill testing at the Sydney road festival with Kiss FM.

04.01.2022 As Oregon becomes the first US state to decriminalise the personal possession of all drugs, it is just a matter of time before Australia and the rest of the world catch up. Prohibition is like a wall that doesn't work with gaps in it. This is why 60 years ago the US forced drug prohibition on the world through the UN drug treaties. It's ironic that America, the home the drug prohibition should be the genesis of its undoing. Your thoughts?

03.01.2022 The NSW government has shut down the Strip search inquiry and while failing to release the much-anitipated Ice inquiry. Join ABC Media Watch Journalist Paul Barry and former state premiers Bobb Carr and Geoff Gallop for a panel discussion of NSW drug laws on April 23. https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/is_it_time_to_legalise_drugs

03.01.2022 Rave in the park for drug Law Reform at Carlton Gardens. We're here till 7 p.m.

03.01.2022 The NZ government has released the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill that New Zealanders will vote on at the referendum on 19 September. The legislation sets out how a legal cannabis market would work. Does Australia need a cannabis referendum too?

03.01.2022 The National Drug Strategy Household Survey has just been released. Here are the highlights of this 3-year health department survey. Cocaine use up to 4.5% Cannabis use at 10% Young people less likely to drink, smoke tobacco or take drugs... 5% of young people aged 1824 were vaping up from 2.5% The average age of those that have used an illicit drug has doubled over the last 20 years. You can see the full report here. https://www.aihw.gov.au//national-drug-strategy/2019-ndshs

03.01.2022 Legalising, regulating and taxing drugs would dramatically reduce crime and provide much need revenue in these desperate times. Great article by John Michael Pacholli.

03.01.2022 Happy New Year to all our drug law reform supporters. As we start the new year, it is time to reflect on the massive advances ion drug law reform around the world and to a lesser extent in Australia..... but with your help, Australia will follow. Probably the most significant international development was the decriminalisation of all drugs in Oregon in the US. This will have a massive flow-on effect on drug decriminalisation around the globe.... In Australia, where reform is slower, the ACT government legalised Cannabis and the Victorian Government announced plans to introduce a second safe injecting site. Drug Law reform has finally entered the mainstream. Yah!

03.01.2022 Government releases the Ice Inquiry report and quickly rejects almost all recommendations. The inquiry recommends "decriminalisation of the use and possession for personal use of prohibited drugs,...with no limit on the number of referrals a person may receive and no civil sanctions for non-compliance." But after releasing the report which also calls for pill testing and for NSW Police to stop using drug detection dogs at music festivals, the aptly named NSW Health Minister B...rad Hazzard said the Government would not consider pill testing or ceasing the use of drug detection dogs. Really? Then why have the Inquiry? You can hear from our special guest panellist Sally Dowling, Senior Counsel assisting the Inquiry at the "Is it time to legalise drugs?" public forum at the Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney April 23. The forum is hosted by ABC Media Watch host, Paul Barry. Get your tickets here. https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/is_it_time_to_legalise_drugs Hear from two former State Premiers, the Hon. Bob Carr and the Hon. Geoff Gallop. Best-selling authors Antony Loewenstein and Jenny Valentish and drug policy researcher, Professor Alison Ritter, Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the University of NSW and now Sally Dowling. Here's a link to the full Ice Inquiry Report. http://bit.ly/2TkL3uc

02.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS. Second Safe injecting room planned near Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne CBD. Congratulations to the state government for staring down the naysayers and also extending the North Richmond safe injecting room for another 3 years. Surely it's time to consider trialling HAT "heroin-assisted treated" for long term heroin addicts.

01.01.2022 Covid-19 is likely to be a temporary inconvenience for the global drug trade and little more. Why? Because Western demand for illicit substances has never been higher and will continue to be so. One of the main takeaways from my years investigating the drug trade has been the staggering hypocrisy of those pushing a brutal war on drugs.... There are no statistics that support its success: arrest one drug kingpin and 20 more will emerge in his place, and yet year after year governments and many in the media push for no softening of prohibition. Great article by Antony Loewenstein You can buy Antony Loewenstein's book, Pills Powder and Smoke, here. https://www.drugpolicy.org.au/shop