Safe drug room call for city

Darwin lord mayoral candidate Ruth Ratcliffe has weighed into the drugs debate by calling for a safe injection to be set up in the city.

She also wants all drugs to be legalised in the Territory.

Ms Ratcliffe, of the Socialist Alliance, is one of 16 people standing for lord mayor on March 16.

She said yesterday too many resources were being targeted at punishing drug users rather than providing them with help and information.

She said although heroin use was not an epidemic in the Territory, there was a recognised level of intravenous drug use and users needed to be protected.

“I think that wherever people are injecting drugs there needs to be a safe injecting room with medical supervision,” Ms Ratcliffe said.

“While the Territory doesn’t have a heroin problem – there is a problem with people injecting other substances which can be dangerous.

“A safe injecting room could also act as a medical centre and drop-in centre for drug users.”

Ms Ratcliffe said there was widespread public support for legalising all drugs.

“I think that people are aware and can see that criminalising drug use has not worked anywhere else in the world,” she said. “And they can see that it is time to try new approaches.

“Drugs are criminalised now and there are drugs available and people are accessing them.

“What legalising them would do is it would allow people to access information on the effects, side-effects and potential dangers of the drugs and it also allows more regulation of how these drugs are manufactured and where they come from – instead of the current system where drugs are cut with harmful products.”

Protest

The Socialist Alliance has organised a rally at 12.30pm today outside Parliament House to protest against the Territory Government’s so-called drug house laws.

The proposed legislation would give police greater powers to search premises where illegal drugs are believed to be manufactured, grown or dealt.

Ms Ratcliffe said the proposed laws did nothing to address the health and social issues surrounding drug use and abuse.

“We’re also calling for drug addiction to be seen as a medical problem and to be offered a range of medical and other solutions,” she said.

Newshawk: http://nt.socialist-alliance.org/
Pubdate: 7th March 2002
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Edith Bevin
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2002 Northern Territory News