The regulation of all drugs is not utopia – it’s a pragmatic way to take control of the situation
Prof Dan Howard SC, head of the special inquiry into illicit amphetamine use in New South Wales, has handed down his report to the NSW government following a lengthy commission looking into both the drug “ice” but also other issues such as pill testing and the effectiveness of NSW drug laws.
In his report, Howard has recommended that the government “decriminalisation” illicit drug use. Many people might be wondering what on earth that actually means. Terms like decriminalisation are bandied around regularly in the media and there’s often confusion as to the jargon that already exists.
Related: Landmark NSW inquiry condemns ineffective drug laws and calls for decriminalisation
Although depenalisation is a small step in the right direction … it won’t stop young people dying
Related: Pill testing: head of NSW inquiry into amphetamine use visits ACT trial
