Fears that after the decriminalization of hard drugs, Canberra could become a ‘fantasyland’ of drug abuse have been sensationally dispelled.
Starting October 28, the ACT will become the first state or territory in the country to decriminalize illegal drugs such as ice cream, cocaine and heroin in small quantities.
This measure has raised concerns among both the police and politicians. Neil Gaughan, ACT’s chief police officer, described the country as a “drug fantasy land” earlier this week when speaking out on the case.
“We will confiscate drugs and if anyone has anything that looks just a little bit different from what is allowed, we will lock it up for supplies,” he said Monday.
Mr Gaughan expects decriminalization to attract revelers to Canberra if the laws are relaxed.
Fears that Canberra could become a ‘fantasy land’ of drug abuse following the decriminalization of hard drugs have been sensationally dispelled (pictured, Canberra)
“It would be naive not to think that people won’t come down, even for a weekend, and do coke and not worry about the police,” he told the paper. Daily telegram.
Mr Gaughan said the new legislation could lead to clashes between biker gangs, increased drug use and a high toll.
But those fears have been allayed by criminal defense attorney Adrian McKenna, who condemned the moral panic over the move in Australia.
He argued that decriminalization would reduce the number of cases where offenders are brought to justice for minor drug offences.
Mr Mckenna described these matters as ‘unnecessary legal proceedings’ and stressed the need to ‘move away from crime punishment and scare tactics’.
“The reality is that many cases of drug possession are young people going through an experimental phase,” he said News.com.au.
“That could mean a criminal conviction that will put them in jail for ten years. Is that really what we should focus on?’
“There is also fear mongering about Canberra, a one-bike city that is becoming something of a crime hub. Those messages are completely useless and don’t promote what they should be focusing on: a smooth transition.’
Mr McKenna compared it to the fears that arose when recreational cannabis was legalized in the area.
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan (pictured) said the new legislation could lead to conflict between biker gangs, increased drug use and a high toll.
Under the new laws in the ACT, decriminalized amounts of drugs that would cost someone a $100 fine under the ACT include 1.5 grams of cocaine, meth, and MDMA, and 1 gram of heroin (stock image)
Others have expressed fears that the streets could gradually begin to resemble parts of the US where the opioid epidemic has seen drug users roam the streets along with spikes in crime and overdoses.
The new legislation will decriminalize possession of a small amount of most drugs except fentanyl, with those in possession fined $100 or referred to counseling, and the drugs confiscated.
Last week, a disturbing photo laid out the stark reality of fentanyl, where it has been called a “killer epidemic.”
In the photo, users of fentanyl — an opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine — in Philadelphia have been so badly affected that they’ve been likened to “zombies.”
Lethal drugs, including fentanyl, are driving an unprecedented overdose epidemic in the US, with 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021, an increase of nearly 15 percent from the previous year.
Fentanyl is prescribed for illnesses such as chronic pain, cancer and surgery, but is increasingly used by addicts seeking a high and is sometimes cut short with heroin.
Authorities fear what will happen if the illegal version of fentanyl gains a foothold in places like Wagga Wagga and Dubbo in regional NSW, where the drug ice cream is already a major problem.
“If non-pharmaceutical fentanyl gets into these rural areas, it will destroy them,” Alex Caruana of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Association told news.com.au.
Last week, an image emerged showing the consequences of the fentanyl epidemic in Philadelphia in the US
Deputy Commissioner Gaughan said he predicts many drug users in the ACT would simply factor the $100 fine into their total cost for a night out.
“The big difference is that if you get caught with coke or meth in Sydney, you’re charged with a criminal offense and have to go to court,” he said.
“Here (in the ACT) you get a $100 fine and if you pay it goes away.”
Despite the panic over decriminalization, especially after the scenes that have emerged from the US, other countries have had some success following decriminalization.
Countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland have already decriminalized drug use and established harm reduction programs.
This has resulted in a drop in drug law suits and a drop in drug-related deaths. Its use has remained relatively stable or slightly increased over the years.
Under the new laws in the ACT, decriminalized amounts of drugs that the ACT says would cost someone a $100 fine include 1.5 grams of cocaine, meth, and MDMA, and 1 gram of heroin.
50 grams of cannabis, 1.5 grams of magic mushrooms and 0.001 grams of LSD are also fined $100.
It comes at a time when NSW Premier Chris Minns said he had “no plans” to follow through on the ACT’s initiative to decriminalize hard drugs in the state.