Bong on

Transcript of Radio Interview on 105.7 ABC Darwin

Richard Margetson: 105.7 ABC Darwin right on five to five, Queensland shops could be banned from selling marijuana paraphernalia, which includes bongs, under the eleventh hour amendments to the government’s new tough tobacco laws. The government there is expecting to adopt changes put forward by the Nationals that would result in a ban on items such as bongs, pipes, cones, all used to smoke cannabis of course.

If that motion goes through, offenders will face hefty penalties of up to ten thousand dollars for buying or selling paraphernalia for illegal use. What would happen if tobacconists couldn’t stock bongs and pipes up here in the Territory, would it really make any difference about the amount of drugs being smoked. We’ve contacted Gary Meyerhoff, he works for the Network Against Prohibition, joins us today, just out of bed I think aren’t you Gary?

Gary Meyerhoff: I just had a bit of siesta Richard.

Richard Margetson: I’m sure you did, what do you think about this one in Queensland?

Gary Meyerhoff: Well it’s a bit of a surprise and a bit of a contradiction as well considering that you know, tobacconists, you know, their going to be stopped from selling these ornaments but their still going to be allowed to sell a deadly poison that we know causes cancer, it’s a bit of a strange one but it seems to be following the line from the United States, I mean they’ve done this in the United States, their shutting down websites that sell bongs and other drug paraphernalia, so it’s sort of part of our transition, I suppose, to being just another state of America.

Richard Margetson: This is something that has been explored in other states before though, the South Australian experience would be one to look at because they have had the most liberal laws, drug laws in the country, especially during the 1980s and they’ve tightened up, especially on things like the sale of paraphernalia

Gary Meyerhoff: And also they were the first to decriminalise cannabis and they’ve taken that status away from hydroponically grown cannabis as well, so, and a lot of this crackdown is actually based on misinformation and propaganda coming out of the drug enforcement agency in the United States, there’s actually, you know, no basis to it. I’m pretty sure Clare Martin is kicking herself today that she never thought of this idea first.

Richard Margetson: Do you ever think that it will come to the Territory, do you think that there is a general belief within the community that the way in which drugs have been sold or allowed to develop as part of our community and specifically through things like the open sale of paraphernalia, do you think that that’s eventually sort of worn thin on the community and there’s a need for change.

Gary Meyerhoff: Not at all, I think out in the community the change that people want is drug law reform. This concern seems to appear only in the minds of, you know, Labor and Liberal government politicians. And all we have here is the, it’s an ongoing process where the state and territory Labor governments are trying to out-do John Howard when it comes to zero tolerance approaches to drug issues, but if you asked your average person on the street, I mean, this is ridiculous, it’s just another stupid law that’s going to have no impact whatsoever except maybe some Tobacconists are going to get busted for selling, you know, these ornaments from the back room.

Richard Margetson: Gary Meyerhoff, thanks for joining us this afternoon you can go back to bed now.

Gary Meyerhoff: No worries, thankyou Richard.

Richard Margetson: Cheers, Gary Meyerhoff from the Network Against Prohibition, in fact we’ll be talking a little more about tobacconists directly after the news because there’s some new action on smoking and health in general from cigarette smoking and a lot of the idea, revolves around the idea of not just cigarette companies but retailers being forced to pay the full cost of smoking related illnesses under a new plan to get people to quit, so it’s not just the illegal drugs, marijuana drugs and cannabis in general, it’s legally available drugs like tobacco which are now coming under the watchful eye of people around the country, we’ll talk about that after the news, so stay with us. Richard Margetson with you through until six on 105.7 ABC Darwin, right now it is news time and that is five o’clock.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 11th November 2004
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Presenter: Richard Margetson
Website: http://www.abc.net.au
Email: comments@your.abc.net.au
Copyright: 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation