We the undersigned believe that problematic Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) use should be addressed as a health and social, rather than a legal issue.
We call on all NSW Parliamentarians to support a 2024 NSW Drug Summit which takes an all of government approach, and the program includes public forums, regional and rural engagement, diverse and multicultural communities; meaningful engagement with stakeholders across festivals, nightlife venues, community groups, legal and justice stakeholders, the education sector and the health sector.
The Drug Summit should accept public submissions and the design should ensure people with lived experience are at the centre of the Summit.
The Drug Summit is an opportunity to recast the problematic use of drugs as a matter of public health policy with whole of government implications.
A Drug Summit with a whole of government approach must also be an opportunity to examine the structural reasons driving drug misuse and dependency.
Further, the Summit creates the space to talk about the recreational drug use. Criminalisation and stigmatisation has only led to a dearth of reputable information resulting in societies generally poor understanding the effect different drugs have on the body creating further risk to health.
Finally, the Summit is a chance to involve the community in the policy making process. he success of reform depends on changing the way we talk about drugs, and those who use them.
Background on the proposed NSW Drug Summit here. Reproduced with the kind permission of the NSW Labor Newtown State Electoral Council.
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