Comments on: Memo finance minister: War on drugs is all cost, no benefit

By: Paul Gallagher

Paul Gallagher — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

If John had cared to search the National Drug Strategy site, all intergovernmental committee reports, accompanying reports, findings and recommendations, he’d find a search for zero tolerance yields zero results. It is gross rhetoric in utter dissonance to Harm Minimisation [our actual policy] and has been the constant companion to discrimination, stereotyping and community verisimilitude. Tough on Drugs is naught but Tough on People. I note it’s “success” in overseeing “loss of a generation”, “the Ice scourge” and consequent spike in drug induced emergency admissions. Gee, thanks Mr. John [it’s the law and the prophets] Howard. Or the media construct teetering on the brink of moral panic: the AFL drugs farce. While I’m at it, at the same time tabloid trash was battering the “3 strikes policy”, over 22 of our finest D&A institutions, individuals and NFP’s wrote in support of resisting “punitive name and shame” approaches. Sweden has ZT eliciting human rights breaches documented by UN.

By: John James

John James — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Firm enforcement and zero tolerance are the only way to deal with the scourge of illicit drugs and their trade.Wodak’s recipe is one for vast ‘opium dens’ with addicts enslaved by giving them ‘clean’ heroin’ and needles. A recipe for disaster/degradation.

By: Jim K

Jim K — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I’m sorry to say that this issue will remain a hot potato whilst there are commonly held views like the ones expressed by John James. Those in the frontline helping these unfortunate sick people recover are almost universally ignored. I applaud Dr. Wodak

By: Terry Wright

Terry Wright — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

John’s vision of ‘disaster/degradation’ is already here under the very policy he supports. Why do these naive, misinformed people even make a comment when they have no example or evidence of what they are saying. You would think that the countries who have a the greatest success like Switerland, The Netherlands, Canada etc. would be something to strive for but somehow people like John never acknowledge them. There only offering is more of the same that has yet to have a positive result.

In a nutshell: The model John slams actually works and there’s plenty of evidence but the model he proposes only has evidence that it doesn’t … go figure?