November 1

[garywmeyerhoff]

Today is International Drug Users Day, a day when users of currently illicit drugs reflect on the damage inflicted on their communities in the name of the war on drugs.

 

All around the world, people who use illicit drugs are persecuted. The death penalty is still in place for drug offences in many countries. Pressured by the United States, many governments are adopting failed prohibitionist strategies in their bid to eradicate all illicit opium and coca production worldwide by 2008.

 

The UN General Assembly made that pledge in Geneva in 1998.

 

Immense resources are being devoured as nations do their bit to meet this stated goal.

 

The United States Government is paying Monsanto for aerial spraying of Coca crops in Columbia and they have been joined by the English Government in their quest to develop a 'vaccine' for drug use.

 

Jail populations are expanding everywhere. In the USA where incarceration is a major corporate enterprise, more than two million people languish in prison.

 

The Northern Territory is the best Australian example by far of the failure of this absurd zero tolerance approach to the use of illicit drugs.

 

It is more than two years since the Labor Government introduced draconian legislation in their own ‘drug eradication frenzy (DEF)’. The legislation has been a laughable failure.

 

Two years ago, drug squad head Les Martin told the Northern Territory News that there were 'about seven illicit drug factories operating in the Territory.'

 

Since then, the massive police offensive has uncovered dozens of clandestine amphetamine laboratories in Darwin alone and despite their valiant efforts the quantity and quality of amphetamines has increased. Crystal Methamphetamine has received a warm welcome on the Darwin drug scene.

 

People who use opiate drugs have not been so lucky. The Government treatment services remain totally inept and GPs are still reluctant to provide any treatment to someone who has a history of ‘schedule 8’ drug use.

 

There have been at least two morphine related murders and numerous bashings, all thanks to the Martin Labor Government.

 

Everyone is still smoking Cannabis, although they are paying more for it. The real victims are the smokers in remote aboriginal communities who are being incarcerated (and medicated)at the highest rate ever.

 

The Labor Governments’ only success has been in raising revenue by the seizure of houses, cars and bank accounts and increasing the Territory jail population to its highest levels ever. They are building a new jail to compensate for this.

 

The Darwin based drug user organisation has pledged to reignite its campaign of civil disobedience in 2005 with a range of drug law reform activities planned. Planning for next years 4th Darwin International Syringe Festival is already underway.

 

On November 13, the Network will celebrate their 20th Community Smoke-in for Human Rights in Darwin’s Raintree Park and they are encouraging all members of the Darwin community who are concerned about the state of drug policy and incarceration issues in the NT to come along, have your say and be a part of the action.

 

For more information see our website http://www.napnt.org or call the NAP HQ on 8942 0570 or Gary on 0415 162525.