Skip navigation

The most harmful thing about drugs is that they're illegal

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
1 November 2019

Calls by the Special Counsel assisting the Ice Inquiry to decriminalise all drugs should be a wakeup call for the Premier and all the evidence she needs to treat drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal one according to Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and spokesperson for drug law reform & harm reduction.

Cate has given notice of her intention to introduce legislation into the NSW Parliament in the first half of next year to decriminalise all drugs.

“This call for decriminalisation by some of NSW’s best legal minds is just the latest in a long line of experts calling on the Premier to adopt an evidence-based approach to drug policy to reduce harm and save lives,” said Ms Faehrmann. 

“We know the war on drugs has failed. Even the NSW Crime Commission has acknowledged that while seizures and arrests have increased this has had little to no effect on the availability of prohibited drugs. 

“We can’t stop people taking drugs, but we can ensure far fewer people die from them.  

“Treating drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal one means decriminalising all drugs ensuring people are able to seek help when they need it without the fear of retribution. It also means pill testing and getting rid of sniffer dogs.

“Countries which have adopted a health based approach to drug use have seen drug related harms plummet and have been able to divert police resources towards serious crimes. 

“When will the premier finally acknowledge the overwhelming evidence in front of her that the war on drugs has failed and that the greatest harms associated with drugs are because they are illegal?” said Ms Faehrmann. 

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
1 November 2019
SHARE:

THE LATEST NEWS

New Upper House Committee Established to Further Investigate Underground Transmission Lines

The NSW Upper House has just voted in support of the establishment of a committee to re-examine the issue of Underground Transmission lines after the government-dominated State Development Committee’s previous report was resoundingly rejected by all non-government members and the community.

MEDIA RELEASE

Fish Kill Report Must Force Overhaul of Water Department: Greens

The NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer’s finding that mass fish deaths in the Darling-Baaka River was due to the failure of existing legal environmental protections in water law not being enforced or implemented should warrant an overhaul of the NSW Water Department, says Greens MP and water spokesperson Cate Faehrmann....

MEDIA RELEASE

Report Released into Underground Transmission Lines Inquiry Extremely Disappointing: Greens

Greens MP and infrastructure spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has labelled the NSW Upper House Inquiry into Underground Transmission Lines, which has just released its report this morning, as a pointless “tick and flick” exercise, with the government clearly having made up its mind months ago in favour of overhead transmission lines.

MEDIA RELEASE

‘Coastal Residents United’ Launched: New Alliance of Community Groups Fighting Inappropriate Development

Representatives from dozens of community groups campaigning to defend small coastal towns and pockets of sensitive and endangered coastal bushland from inappropriate development launched a new alliance today at the NSW Parliament. 


CAMPAIGNS