We have acknowledged that the negative effects of drug abuse are not limited to users alone. Families and communities suffer from discarded needles, public drug dealing, drug-related violence and crime on our streets. This is why Labor has broadened the focus of drug policy to include families and communities. Too often the drugs debate is characterised by empty rhetoric. Labor will shift the focus to positive steps that tackle the roots of the problem.
Labor believes in what works.
We have consulted widely with experts in this field to produce a balanced set of policies that concentrate on getting people out of the drug-crime cycle and are backed by credible educational, social and health initiatives. Our emphasis is on practical measures to support families grappling with this issue, to reduce the numbers of young people who become involved with illicit drugs, to speed the rehabilitation of drug users and to curb the growing death toll among young people. Much of this plan focuses on the use of heroin, which has reached a new peak in its impact on our community. However, our policies are equally relevant to other illicit drugs being used in our society, including cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis. We will not allow criminals to profit from the misery of others.