The Herald has confirmed NSW is to announce the most significant shake-up of drug laws in the state’s recent history,expanding pre-court diversion schemes in place for cannabis to include all illicit drugs.
The Minns government’s approach to pill testing and policing is again in the spotlight after two young men died after going to a music festival at Sydney Olympic Park.
NSW Police have confirmed drug detection dogs will be used at festivals as part of a “high-visibility police operation”.
Missing from the fine print in NSW Labor’s Tuesday budget was money for a smaller but equally problematic issue facing Premier Chris Minns.
The government promised to hold a drug summit once it was elected. Now it faces accusations that it lacks commitment and understanding of the serious issue.
Record seizures,expanded police powers and record criminal charges have done nothing to slow down Sydney’s love affair with cocaine.
Ice inquiry commissioner Professor Dan Howard,SC,said he was disappointed in the government’s unwillingness to decriminalise illicit drug use,arguing it falls short of “where the rest of the world is heading.”
Former Labor premier Bob Carr,whose government established the Kings Cross supervised injecting centre,called on Dominic Perrottet to follow his stead and act on expert advice.
Professor Dan Howard says 28 months after he handed down his recommendations,the state government has done almost nothing.
NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman expressed hope that the government’s answers to the drug reform recommendations will be delivered by Christmas. He added that he would be disappointed if a response failed to occur before the end of the year.
Australia’s peak medical groups have warned that the NSW government’s failure to respond to the state’s ice inquiry will have catastrophic consequences.