Today's failed attempt by the ACT Liberals to overturn recent changes to drug laws in the ACT flies in the face of sensible evidence-based policy and is completely out of step with the community's views on drug laws.
"We're glad that sensible health policy continues in the ACT in the face of harmful political games," Alice Salomon Uniting NSW.ACT's Head of Advocacy said.
"Many of the claims made today by the Liberal Opposition in the ACT Legislative Assembly about recent changes to drug laws in the ACT are to put it simply – just plain wrong.
"We see every day the harms caused by unfair drug laws. What has been implemented in the ACT for the last few years has been a sensible and fair change.
Uniting has long been at the front of advocacy efforts to reform unfair drugs policy that impacts people experiencing disadvantage disproportionally.
"In 2023 we welcomed the positive shift from seeing the police and the courts as the place where drug use and dependency inevitably end up in the ACT towards a focus on drug treatment or health-based and community interventions.
"The failed attempt to overturn sensible, evidence- based drug laws today is a win for good policy over bad politics," she said.
"The most effective way to support people whose lives are affected by drug use or dependency is to invest in an evidence-based, whole of government response that appropriately resources harm reduction and treatment services and ensures that we are creating an equitable service landscape across the ACT.
"Reducing harms for people who use drugs and those living with dependency comes about by sensible, evidence- based policy not by alarmist, political games," Alice said.
Uniting has run the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross for nearly 25 years and has spearheaded the Fair Treatment campaign for fairer drug laws for over seven years.
