Drugs and the Law

NAP Public Forum - June 28 Darwin

An open community forum:

The Network Against Prohibition, in conjunction with the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia is coordinating an open community forum on the issue of drugs and the law.

The primary objective of this forum is to encourage an open discussion where people can share their stories, experiences and thoughts about the prohibition of certain drugs.

The forum will also aim to:

1. Increase community awareness of the impact of prohibition on the health of drug users, 2. Offer drug users and their families the opportunities to express their views, and 3. To involve drug users, their family members and other community members in the ongoing work of NAP.

Who can attend?

All members of the community are welcome to attend the community forum. Chief Minister Clare Martin and Justice Minister Peter Toyne have been invited to attend the forum to debate NAP coordinator Gary Meyerhoff.

Drug users, health and community service professionals, students and community members are invited to attend. All attendees are encouraged to share their personal experience and discuss issues surrounding prohibition.

Key Speaker:

The key speaker will be Gary Meyerhoff, the co-coordinator of NAP. Gary has been involved in the community services sector since 1995 and has held a number of paid and unpaid positions.

He has specialised in working with young people who use currently illicit substances and has been a management board member of the NT AIDS Council, the Top End Users' Forum, the National Association of People Living With AIDS (NAPWA), the WA AIDS Council and a number of youth service organisations.

Gary is an active member of the international drug user movement and has attended conferences in India, Holland, England and the United States.

NAP - The Network Against Prohibition

NAP was established on the 7th of March 2002 as a response to attacks on the human rights of drug users by the new NT Labor government.

The formation of NAP indicates a move away from the small "l" liberal approach of working with governments through committees and the writing of countless submissions.

NAP members are concerned that this approach is not working and that the small gains won through this approach are continually taken away by subsequent governments.

NAP undertakes to use non-violent direct action in our struggle to end the "war on drugs" in the Northern Territory.

Date: Friday 28th June 2002

Venue: Business Lecture Theatre 22.01

Business Building 22

Casuarina Campus

Northern Territory University

Time: 7pm to 10pm

Cost: $5 entry or gold coin donation

For more information please contact NAP

or see www.adca.org.au