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News (Media Awareness Project) - Australia: PUB LTE: Hurdles on the Road to Decriminalisation |
| Title: | Australia: PUB LTE: Hurdles on the Road to Decriminalisation |
| Published On: | 2010-12-28 |
| Source: | Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) |
| Fetched On: | 2011-03-09 17:55:04 |
HURDLES ON THE ROAD TO DECRIMINALISATION
Imagine if we could eliminate all our nation's heroin dealers -
Switzerland did. Imagine if we could reduce the number of heroin
addicts by 82 per cent - Switzerland did. Imagine if we could
dramatically reduce our overall crime rate - Switzerland did. Imagine
if we could eliminate virtually all deaths from heroin - Switzerland
did.
How did they do it?
In 1994, Switzerland started an experimental program to sell heroin
addicts the drug very cheaply, even giving it to the addicts who
couldn't afford it. In 2008, 68 per cent of the Swiss voted to make
the program permanent.
Have Swiss heroin-addiction rates skyrocketed? No, they have fallen
dramatically. So has the overall crime rate. Will the rest of the
world follow suit? Probably not. Too many people, industries and
institutions have a vested financial interest in maintaining the
status quo of drug prohibition.
Kirk Muse
Mesa, Arizona (US)
Imagine if we could eliminate all our nation's heroin dealers -
Switzerland did. Imagine if we could reduce the number of heroin
addicts by 82 per cent - Switzerland did. Imagine if we could
dramatically reduce our overall crime rate - Switzerland did. Imagine
if we could eliminate virtually all deaths from heroin - Switzerland
did.
How did they do it?
In 1994, Switzerland started an experimental program to sell heroin
addicts the drug very cheaply, even giving it to the addicts who
couldn't afford it. In 2008, 68 per cent of the Swiss voted to make
the program permanent.
Have Swiss heroin-addiction rates skyrocketed? No, they have fallen
dramatically. So has the overall crime rate. Will the rest of the
world follow suit? Probably not. Too many people, industries and
institutions have a vested financial interest in maintaining the
status quo of drug prohibition.
Kirk Muse
Mesa, Arizona (US)
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