26 legal, health, community and church groups applaud proposed NSW drug reforms

Twenty-six legal, medical, health, community and church groups, have welcomed news that the NSW Government is considering changing the law regarding small quantities of drugs and instead introduce a diversionary system.

This group, many of whom are members of the Fair Treatment campaign (www.fairtreatment.org), has long-campaigned for such a move, arguing drug laws should be reformed so that drug use can be treated primarily as a health and social issue.

We welcome a greater emphasis on diversion but this will only be effective if health and social measures have increased funding and support.

We support these sensible measures that reflect the government is listening to the medical and legal experts and making laws based on the evidence.

This small step brings NSW in line with other jurisdictions around Australia that have similar diversion systems.

Too many people who use drugs are made to live in the shadows, looked down upon with shame and stigma and therefore don’t seek help because of our current drug laws.

We believe this move by the NSW Government could allow police to be tough on crime, diverting resources to policing large drug traffickers and violent offences, where we as a society need their attention to be. We need the helping hand of treatment and support extended to those with drug dependency.

We all want a society in which all people are valued and their dignity as human beings recognised. Parents want to know that their kids will come home from a night out and if they have drug dependency society will help keep them safe until they can get treatment. This move by the NSW government is to be applauded.

We look forward to an ongoing dialogue about the freeing up of police resources and funding for treatment for people who seek it.

The signatories to this statement include:

Rev. Simon Hansford Moderator Uniting Church in Australia Synod of NSW & the ACT	Nicholas Cowdery AO QC President NSW Council of Civil Liberties	Pastor Jon Owen CEO Wayside Chapel
Bishop Peter Stuart Anglican Diocese of Newcastle	Robert Stirling CEO Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agency	Devin Bowles CEO Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Association ACT
Tracey Burton Executive Director Uniting NSW.ACT	Carmel Tebbutt CEO Mental Health Coordinating Council	Dr Erin Lalor CEO Alcohol and Other Drug Foundation
Tony Trimingham CEO Family Drug Support	Dr Tony Sara President ASMOF NSW (the Doctors Union)	Terry Slevin CEO Public Health Association of Australia
Professor Alison Ritter Director Drug Policy Modelling Program UNSW	Dr Alex Wodak AM President Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation	Dr Marianne Jauncey Medical Director Medically Supervised Injecting Centre
Wil Tregoning CEO Unharm	Greg Chipp Director Drug Policy Australia	Bill Bush President Families and Friends of Drug Law Reform
Nicky Bath CEO The National LGBTI Health Alliance	Steven Drew CEO Hepatitis NSW	Professor Carla Treloar Director Centre for Social Research, Social Policy Research Centre
Chris Gough Executive Director Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy	Professor Simon Lenton Director National Drug Research Institute	Professor Anne M Roche Director National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction
Alexis Apostolellis CEO Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine	Dr Jake Rance Research Fellow UNSW

The Moderator of the Uniting Church (Sydney and NSW) , Rev. Simon Hansford, is available for interview

 

Media contact: Martin Thomas 0477 340 704

 

About the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT 

The Uniting Church is one of the largest Christian denominations in Australia. Our Congregations and members are diverse in age, location and culture. The Synod of NSW and the ACT supports more than 500 Congregations, 50,000 members, 14 Presbyteries and 9 schools and Parish Missions. We are connected by a single story, worshipping every week in more than 40 languages.

 

About Uniting | uniting.org 

Uniting is responsible for the social justice, community services and chaplaincy work of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT, providing care and support for people through all ages and stages of life and with a focus on people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability. Our purpose is to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice. We celebrate diversity and welcome everyone exactly as they are.