International Drug Users’ Day – 1 November 2005

To acknowledge and celebrate 1st November as International Drug Users Day, drug user organisations from across Australia have organised a variety of events and activities in each state and territory.

“International Drug Users Day gives us a chance each year to highlight health, social, legal and human rights issues for people in our community who use illicit drugs” said Fiona Clarke from the NT Chapter of the Darwin-based Network Against Prohibition.

The most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey conducted by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare showed that in 2004 38.1% of Australians had ever used an illicit drug.

“This shows that when we are talking about people who use illicit drugs, we are not talking about a small number of people. We are talking about a significant proportion of the Australian population. People we know. People who are part of our community” added Fiona Clarke.

While the issues faced by different types of illicit drug users vary significantly depending on the drug used, frequency of use and prevailing community attitudes towards particular drugs, all people who use illicit drugs experience discrimination, stigma and unnecessary health problems as a consequence of the current government policies and laws in relation to illicit drugs.

“The Northern Territory Government’s ‘drug house’ laws are a perfect example of the persecution of illicit drug users in our community” stated Ms Clarke.

The first ‘International’ Drug Users Day was organised and held on 1 November 1999 by Project LSD the national drug users’ organisation in the Netherlands. In 2004 over ten countries participated in International Drug Users Day including the Netherlands, Germany, England, Ireland, Demark, Belgium, France, Spain, Slovenia, Russia and Australia.

Theo van Dam from Project LSD describes the value of International Drug Users Day in the following way “Drug users have found this day very valuable. At least for one day in the year, there are no people looking at you with disdain, and one feels accepted as a 'human being', so to speak.”

This year Australian drug users’ organisations will be joining their international counterparts with events and activities organised in all states and territories.

In Darwin, as part of International Drug Users’ day activities, NAP activist Gary Meyerhoff will appear before the Court of Appeal on Tuesday (at 2pm) to appeal against his conviction for ‘bill-pasting’. Meyerhoff was charged in 2003 for sticking up posters promoting the Darwin International Syringe Festival.

The court hearing will be followed by a NAP pool party at NAPHQ. Fiona Clarke will give a brief presentation on the history of the drug user movement in the NT.

For further comments on the aims of International Drug Users Day and for more information about International Drug User Day activities in the Northern Territory, please contact Fiona on 0415 16 2525.

http://www.napnt.org

Footnote: Today’s appeal against conviction for the parliament invasion, faced by NAP members Gary Meyerhoff, Stuart Highway and Robert Inder-Smith was adjourned until the next sittings of the Court of Appeal in February 2006. Gary Meyerhoff’s appeal against conviction for bill-pasting will go ahead tomorrow at 2pm at the NT Supreme Court.