Prohibition issues again.

The Network Against Prohibition has long claimed that one of the least desirable aspects and outcomes of the prohibition of a variety of recreational drugs, is the ever present temptation and possibility for police corruption.

What more glaring example of this truth do we need than the recent bombshell from NSW.

The only way this Government can have any control over the recreational drug industry is to take control of it.

Simply making selected drugs illegal is a pathetic attempt at a simple solution to an issue that is out of their control.

It, quite simply, is not working.

The use of recreational drugs, including alcohol, should be a health and education issue, not a law and order issue.

The best our police can ever hope to achieve is to monitor the trade, and as we have seen, occasionally cash in on it.

Our kids deserve to be properly educated, not with hysterical propaganda, on the pros and cons of drug usage (including alcohol) and the consequences of over indulgence.

If we had access to a variety of Government approved, pharmaceutically clean forms of the preferred alternatives to alcohol, rather than having to seek out the current contaminated backyard options, we would likely see a great reduction in drug related crime and mental health problems.

The budget to deal with education for all, and the health issues of the few who misuse drugs, would be far less than the current budget for the persecution of responsible users.

The great benefits to our economy are immeasurable.

Robert Fyffe
Network Against Prohibition