Urgent assistance required for Darwin opiate users

40 dependent Darwin opiate users have been informed that their treating doctor will be unable to prescribe opiate based drugs for them from July the 8th. The doctor has been prohibited from prescribing opiate based drugs by the NT Chief Health Officer, who has also referred the doctor to the medical board. The 40 people have less than 2 weeks to access alternative drug treatment, virtually non-existent in the NT.

Since the election of our new Territory government, they have closed the only methadone program, the only detox unit in Darwin and a drug treatment centre at the Daly River Aboriginal Community. Health services are being replaced by a zero tolerance offensive facilitated by the NT Police.

The reality is that these opiate users will be unable to access other GPs as many GPs are concerned that they will also be targeted and persecuted by the NT Department of Health and Community Services.

The options provided by the NT Government are a totally inadequate response to an emergency that they have created. The users will have no choice of the opiate based drug that they are provided with. Buprenorphine, a relatively unproven drug, will be the only option available. Other patients will be referred to surgery for chronic pain issues and others still will receive no treatment or support at all.

What this means is that 40 opiate dependent people are losing their access to opiates and will be forced onto the black-market where one 100mg tablet of Morphine can cost up to $80. This is happening in less than 2 weeks. This is a major human rights violation and will clearly put lives at risk.

The Network Against Prohibition is requesting groups and individuals to show their solidarity with opiate users in the NT. An international day of action has been declared for July the 8th and it is hoped that groups can conduct direct actions on the NT Tourism Commission office in your capital city or the Australian embassy or consulate nearest you.

NAP understands that this is a big ask for people but we have an emergency situation that needs to be dealt with, 40 lives are at risk, not to mention their families. We have demanded that the Chief Health Officer of the NT resign, and that the NT Government immediately restore the treating doctor’s rights to prescribe opiate based drugs.

Those of you who are unable to participate in direct action could express their concerns by writing a letter to the editor of your own local paper and:

The Australian letters@theaustralian.com.au NT News ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au

Send copy to napnt@yahoo.com

And clare.martin@nt.gov.au

jane.aagaard@nt.gov.au

For further information contact:

Gary Meyerhoff 0415 16 2525 or (08) 8942 0570 or napnt@yahoo.com

NAP calls on NT Chief Health Officer to Resign.

The Network Against Prohibition is calling on the NT Chief Health Officer Dr Shirley Hendy to resign after revelations that she has removed access to treatment for 40 opiate users in Darwin. Lives have been put at risk by this decision, which sees the treating doctor, Dr Henry Pang, prohibited from prescribing schedule 8 drugs as of the 8th of July.

Dr Pang has been given 2 weeks notice to cease treating his opiate dependent patients and to refer them on to other services. Buprenorphine will be the only opiate based pharmacotherapy available, and the majority of Dr Pang’s patients will be referred to withdrawal services at Royal Darwin Hospital. Other Darwin GPs are not expected to take on these patients.

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff said “due to the stigma associated with opiate based drugs and often blatant discrimination by doctors against opiate users, many GPs have decided not to provide services to opiate users.”

The Northern Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia where it is illegal for doctors to treat opiate dependency with opiates. A number of GPs have left the Territory due to this draconian legislation. Despite the legislation, the Chief Health Officer does have discretion to permit doctors to use opiate based drugs in the treatment of dependency. Dr Hendy chooses not to exercise this discretion despite the volumes of evidence of the effectiveness of opiate based drugs in the treatment of opiate dependency.

Meyerhoff said “in this case, Doctor Hendy has shown blatant disregard for the human rights, physical and emotional wellbeing of the 40 opiate users concerned and their families, by preventing Dr Pang from providing the adequate and necessary level of care. The consequences of this action will also flow onto the wider community.”

“Doctor Hendy should review her decision immediately and restore schedule 8 prescribing rights to Dr Pang. Any failure to do so will result in untold heartache for dozens of Territorians. Failing this, Dr Hendy should be dismissed by the Health Minister.”

For further information or to arrange an interview contact:

Gary Meyerhoff 0415 16 2525 or (08) 8942 0570 or napnt@yahoo.com

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

Trespass party at NT Parliament house June 19, 12 Noon

Members of the Network Against Prohibition and their supporters will gather at the steps of the NT Parliament House at noon Wednesday, June 19 to mark the passing of the "misuse of drugs amendment bill", due to be debated and voted on this week.

A number of Young people are expected to walk out of school to join the demonstration, which will also have a focus on "zero tolerance" policing.

NT Labor cabinet members are strong proponents of "zero tolerance" policing tactics and have even proposed the use of a youth curfew and youth night patrol.

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff said "the draconian misuse of drugs amendment bill and the attacks on the human rights of young people clearly show that the NT is fast becoming a police state."

The demonstration has been named the "Trespass party" as a number of NAP members were issued with trespass notices after visiting the NT parliament on a previous occasion:

http://napnt.tripod.com/pages/Articles_9.htm#article3

For further information on Labors' attacks on young people see:

http://napnt.tripod.com/pages/Articles_17.htm

To arrange an interview contact Gary on 0415 16 2525

Second Community Smoke-in declared a major success

The second community smoke-in “Smoke-up for Human Rights” has been declared a major success by event organisers. Over 200 people gathered in Darwin’s Raintree Park on Saturday the 8th of June in a peaceful act of civil disobedience to demonstrate against Labor’s impending drug house legislation.

The event featured local bands FatherMotherChild, Freedom (Jennifer Summers) and the Stoned Collective. ECOWAR, a Dutch band also gave their time to play at the event, and band members talked about the experience of Dutch drug policy.

People enjoyed free face-painting and a free BBQ. Police Officers kept out of the way, in stark contrast to the brutal attack on community members by the Police at the first smoke-in on the 20th of April. Community members toked on a 1.2 metre joint as they soaked up the Darwin sun.

Speakers included Melanie Ross from the NT Greens, Kate Stockdale from the Socialist Alliance and veteran activist Col Friel. Col urged the Darwin community to get involved in the struggle for human rights. NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff described the human rights abuses that Darwin’s injecting drug users have to face on a daily basis.

Labor’s drug laws have been described as “NAZI labelling” by the Executive Officer of the Australian Illicit and Intravenous League, Annie Madden. The legislation has also received criticism from the NT Criminal Lawyers’ Association, the Top End Users’ Forum and the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation.

NAP, the Network Against Prohibition was established on the 7th of March this year, in response to the reactionary policies of the NT Labor Government. Comprising drug users’, concerned community members, students and human rights activists, the organization has conducted a number of events and actions since its establishment.

The “Smoke-up for Human Rights” is now a monthly event and is coordinated by NAP in conjunction with PARIAH, People Against Racism in Aboriginal Homelands.

The next “Smoke-up for Human Rights” will be held on the 13th of July and will have a “Christmas in July” theme. Santa will be coming along at 12 noon and will have presents for all of the good boys and girls. Among the presents will be a 1.4 metre joint. People are urged to come along to hear the NAP/PARIAH Choir sing Carols by Bonglight and to join us for a free community Christmas feast.

NAP Coordinator Gary Meyerhoff will speak at a public lecture on the 28th of June. The lecture will commence at 7pm and will be held in the Business Building, Room 22.01 at the Northern Territory University. Gary will discuss the “war on drugs” and its implications for Australia.

For further info contact Gary or Ema on 0415 16 2525 or Email us

Visit our website http://napnt.tripod.com or PARIAH’s website www.country-liberal-party.com