OZschwitz: Drug use is an issue for society, not the criminal justice system

Last week, my 11-year-old daughter started senior school in London. In some ways, it was her initiation into the foothills of adolescence. She is a smart and sensible girl. But I know there are illicit drugs used at her school.

I also have to recognise some troubling truths. I know that when the best scientific evidence in the world is brought together, as was done earlier this year by researchers Louisa Degenhardt and Wayne Hall, it shows about one in 20 people aged 15 to 64 have used an illicit drug in the past year.

So what do I hope for my daughter? I hope she won't get drawn into drug use, of course. I hope she won't be that one out of 20. But hope isn't good enough.

When it comes to illicit drugs, we need intelligent policies. Intelligent policies need good data and reliable evidence drawn from carefully conducted research studies. We would never knowingly allow a medicine to be prescribed without good evidence about its safety and effectiveness. Yet we seem to be happy to let our policies around drugs be shaped by ignorance and prejudice.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/drug-use-is-an-issue-for-society-not-the-criminal-justice-system-20120909-25m4h.html#ixzz261QFeaim

OZschwitz: Drug use is an issue for society, not the criminal justice system

OZschwitz: Drug use is an issue for society, not the criminal justice system

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