Tasmanian Drug Strategy 2023/2028
Hon. Mike Gaffney MLC
Member for Mersey
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22 August 2023
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Mr President, earlier this month I attended a three-hour community consultation in Burnie regarding the latest draft of the Tasmanian Drug Strategy. It was positive to be involved with the process that invited local communities to have their say on matters important to them regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs.
In my electorate of Mersey, as in most regions in Tasmania, there are people struggling with alcohol and other drugs. I see enormous opportunities for effective and flexible strategies to make an impact in people's lives, those of their family and friends, and the communities in which they live. Many Tasmanians use alcohol and a number of individuals also use illicit drugs. However, some people face real challenges with both alcohol and illicit drugs. Unfortunately, sometimes those challenges also ripple out to the community and we see people in conflict, in hospitals and, in some cases, in prison.
We must understand that many of these challenges are preventable. Highly regarded humanitarian Desmond Tutu said, 'We need to stop just pulling people out of the river, we need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in'. These words are illuminating and they also encourage us as a society to make good public policy, which brings me to the Tasmanian Drug Strategy. I congratulate the Government for consulting with the community. We know we can do better when it comes to creating an environment where the community is kept safe and individuals are encouraged to thrive. We need to find that balance.
The draft strategy's commitment to a health response to illicit drug use and the focus on improving the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians is commendable. An effective public health approach to drugs needs to address the structural and systemic issues that lead to people facing challenges when it comes to alcohol and other drug use and how we can help individuals overcome those challenges. We also need to recognise and assess how criminalisation affects people's health and how it unintentionally drives other social and economic harms affecting not only individuals, but also their families, friends and communities.
I have heard stories of Tasmanians who cannot get on with their lives due to a prior criminal record that has a minor drug charge to it. There is someone I am thinking of right now who is unable to apply for a cleaning job because of an indiscretion 15 years ago. This is heartbreaking. How can a person rebuild their life if this situation stops them from gaining employment? What is the wider implication for this person's family who relies on them?
In February, the EMRS polling of the Tasmanian public showed that 69 per cent of Tasmanians believe that the possession of cannabis for personal use should not be a criminal offence. Criminal sanctions for drug use unfortunately undermine an effective health response by exacerbating existing illnesses and marginalisation, and by preventing people from seeking help. It also drives and embeds intergenerational trauma and disadvantage.
When it comes to illicit drugs, shifting to a health and wellbeing response has the support of the Tasmanian people. International evidence demonstrates that a public health approach and decriminalisation of personal possession and use reduces the prevalence of drug use, disorders and deaths. At present, more than 30 jurisdictions around the world have some form of decriminalisation. Places where this is most effective at reducing all sorts of harm to those people who use drugs, to their family and close community, to society, and to the economy more broadly, have taken a whole-of-life public health approach. In these models, not only does drug use decline but so do infections, illnesses, overdose, stigma and the costs associated with criminal justice processes. Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and other European nations where drugs are decriminalised report lower rates of use of opiates and lower harm across a range of measures. The success of this approach has resonated across the globe with a number of jurisdictions beginning to explore or introduce decriminalisation models, including those in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
I believe that the draft Tasmanian Drug Strategy should include holistic system-level preventive approaches and remove criminal penalties for personal possession and use of minor quantities of illicit drugs. The strategy also needs to consider the low rates of diversion through programs such as the Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative and address the gap in opportunities for diversion between the Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative and court-mandated programs or incarceration.
Making these types of changes to our approach will keep our communities and our people safer and must be carefully considered. We have fantastic assets in our community organisations. Those organisations across the north-west of Tasmania, alongside our government-run services, are providing world-class, evidence‑based treatment and support to Tasmanians.
Regularly we hear success stories of people who have turned their lives around. There is an opportunity to further strengthen this work to support the vision of the draft strategy, which is a Tasmania that is inclusive and safe for all people without stigma and discrimination, and where people can make informed health decisions when it comes to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
In closing, I am looking forward to the tabling of the final Tasmanian Drug Strategy in November 2023. There is hope for people out there who are struggling to turn their lives around. We want them to know that we are listening and that we will continue to work to make the changes needed for a better Tasmania.