Newsletters
September 2009
Welcome to the first enews for the ADLRF. As you will no doubt be aware, the Foundation is gearing up for the arrival next month of Dr Norman Stamper.
Dr Stamper is a proponent of drug law refrom and is coming to Australia in October as a representative of the USA organisation LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).
The ADLRF will be hosting a number of talks and other events with him around Sydney. Check out the event details below.
Membership
If you haven’t done so already, please renew your membership today. Or tell someone about the ADLRF and encourage them to join.
Events
In October, the ADLRF will be hosting a series of free public lectures and talks by Dr Norm Stamper.
Dr Stamper is coming to Australia in October as a representative of the USA organisation LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).
Dr Stamper is a proponent of drug law reform and argues that the US “war on drugs” simply has not worked. He believes that the billions of dollars being wasted on the justice system could be better spent on improving health and social interventions to ameliorate drug problems. Dr Stamper is the author of “Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing”.
Come along to one of these events to hear what he has to say.
Tuesday 6 October, 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Lunchtime lecture at the NSW Parliament
Theatrette, Parliament of NSW, Macquarie Street. Sydney.
More info: http://normstamper.eventbrite.com/
Thursday 8 October at 12.00 pm
Free Lunchtime Lecture with Q&A!
University of New South Wales, Law Building Lecture Hall
Friday 9 October at 9.30 am
Lecture with Q&A, broadcast Australia and New Zealand wide by video conference.
Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Level 8, Education Centre, 52 Phillips Street.
Recent News and Research about Drug Law Reform
UK heroin trial results released
The BBC reports on the results of the UK heroin trial – known as ‘RIOTT’ –which were released recently: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8255418.stm
The study sent a message that rigorous scientific research can help find more effective ways of dealing with problems. The results seem to be consistent with similar randomised controlled trials in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Canada (BBC, 15 September 2009).
Tide turns in favour of drug reform
Opinion piece by Dr Alex Wodak the director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent’s Hospital.
The Splitting Image of Pot
New York Magazine
On the one hand, marijuana is practically legal - more mainstream, accessorized, and taken for granted than ever before. On the other, kids are getting busted in the city in record numbers. Guess which kids. READ MORE >>>
The case for legalising all drugs is unanswerable
John Gray, The Observer, Sunday 13 September 2009
The extreme profits to be made from narcotics a direct result of prohibition fuel war and terrorism. Legalisation is urgent.
Diacetylmorphine versus Methadone for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction
The New England Journal of Medicine, probably the world’s most prestigious medical journal, details the results of a recent Canadian trial comparing injectable heroin with oral methadone as a treatment for heroin injectors.
Like the four previous European trials comparing these two treatments during the past 15 years, the Canadian researchers found that injectable heroin was more effective than oral methadone.
Prohibition vs. Legalization: Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Drug Policy?
Some very useful quotations from leading economists on drug policy.
Argentine Supreme Court to decriminalise drug possession
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
So, in the same month that the UK Government is making political capital from attaching long prison sentences to several new drugs few people have even heard of, in a seemingly parallel universe not populated by drug warriors, other countries are queuing up to decriminalise personal possession of all drugs. Last week Mexico joined the growing list and today the Argentine Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling decriminalising drug possession for personal use.
A Comparison of the Cost – effectiveness of the Prohibition and Regulation of Drugs
Transform’s latest report, compares the costs and benefits of the current policy of drug prohibition, with those of a proposed model of legal regulation.
Download Report here [PDF format]
Treating, not punishing
The Economist, 27 Aug 09
The evidence from Portugal since 2001 is that decriminalisation of drug use and possession has benefits and no harmful side-effects.
The Health Report
ABC Radio National, 24 August 2009
Developments in Portugal.
Mexico Legalizes Drug Possession
MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge.
Yes, Addicts Need Help. But All You Casual Cocaine Users Want Locking Up
Guardian
I Know People Who Drink Fair-Trade Tea and Coffee, Shop Locally and Snort Drugs at Parties. They Are Disgusting Hypocrites. It looked like the first drop of rain in the desert of drugs policy.
Ten Things that you should know about drug prohibition
Alex Wodak, President of the Australian Drug Law Foundation wrote an article for The Punch entitled ‘Ten Things that you should know about drug prohibition’ which can be read here.
ADLRF
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