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

MEDIA RELEASE

Centennial Coal’s Plan to Dump Millions of Litres of Toxic Water in Sydney’s Drinking Water Catchment Must Be Rejected

Centennial Coal’s latest bid to dump an additional 42 million litres of toxic wastewater daily into Sydney’s drinking water catchment is a reckless attack on the health of millions of Sydneysiders and a disaster for the environment, says Greens MP and mining spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

MEDIA RELEASE

Pill Testing at NSW Music Festivals Must Start Boxing Day. And Ditch the Dogs and Strip Searches: Greens

News that the Minns Government is going to trial pill testing at up to a dozen music festivals this summer is welcome, but trials must be in place for the festival blitz that commences on Boxing Day, says Greens MP and drug harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

MEDIA RELEASE

Drug Summit was always set up to fail, and it (largely) did: Greens

The Government’s drug summit has been fiercely criticised by attendees on the last day, many who say that the whole exercise has excluded diverse and marginalised voices and experiences and many questioning the point of the whole exercise, says Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction...

MEDIA RELEASE

Drug Summit Priorities and Don’t Wait Until Next Year on Pill Testing

Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will attend the two hearings of the drug summit in Sydney today and tomorrow.


CAMPAIGNS