❓ Mr Baker questions the Minister for Police about the State Government's stance on a federal Labor Party proposal to provide free heroin to users. Mr Prince responds that the State Government opposes the proposal, citing negative outcomes from a Swiss trial and potential societal harms.
AnsweredQoN 47Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the federal Labor Party's plan to provide free heroin to heroin users in conjunction with state Labor Governments. Can the minister advise whether the State Government supports this proposal? Mr PRINCE
AnswerView source ↗
The straightforward answer is no. The State Government has always opposed providing free heroin to heroin users. That approach was trialled in Switzerland a few years ago, and the results have been reported in a number of ways. I note a report by the World Health Organisation stating that, in the absence of a control group, any improvements for individuals may be attributable to the substantial social support that was provided to the participants. An external evaluation panel stated that the Swiss studies were not able to examine whether improvements in health status or social functioning in the individuals treated was causally related to heroin prescription per se, or a result of the impact of the overall treatment program. Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
Mr PRINCE replied: The straightforward answer is no. The State Government has always opposed providing free heroin to heroin users. That approach was trialled in Switzerland a few years ago, and the results have been reported in a number of ways. I note a report by the World Health Organisation stating that, in the absence of a control group, any improvements for individuals may be attributable to the substantial social support that was provided to the participants. An external evaluation panel stated that the Swiss studies were not able to examine whether improvements in health status or social functioning in the individuals treated was causally related to heroin prescription per se, or a result of the impact of the overall treatment program. Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
The straightforward answer is no. The State Government has always opposed providing free heroin to heroin users. That approach was trialled in Switzerland a few years ago, and the results have been reported in a number of ways. I note a report by the World Health Organisation stating that, in the absence of a control group, any improvements for individuals may be attributable to the substantial social support that was provided to the participants. An external evaluation panel stated that the Swiss studies were not able to examine whether improvements in health status or social functioning in the individuals treated was causally related to heroin prescription per se, or a result of the impact of the overall treatment program. Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
Mr PRINCE replied: The straightforward answer is no. The State Government has always opposed providing free heroin to heroin users. That approach was trialled in Switzerland a few years ago, and the results have been reported in a number of ways. I note a report by the World Health Organisation stating that, in the absence of a control group, any improvements for individuals may be attributable to the substantial social support that was provided to the participants. An external evaluation panel stated that the Swiss studies were not able to examine whether improvements in health status or social functioning in the individuals treated was causally related to heroin prescription per se, or a result of the impact of the overall treatment program. Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
The straightforward answer is no. The State Government has always opposed providing free heroin to heroin users. That approach was trialled in Switzerland a few years ago, and the results have been reported in a number of ways. I note a report by the World Health Organisation stating that, in the absence of a control group, any improvements for individuals may be attributable to the substantial social support that was provided to the participants. An external evaluation panel stated that the Swiss studies were not able to examine whether improvements in health status or social functioning in the individuals treated was causally related to heroin prescription per se, or a result of the impact of the overall treatment program. Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
Welfare dependence replaced crime for many people. One-third of the people who were involved dropped out of the program entirely. Illicit and other drug use continued with 6 per cent of participants using heroin on a daily basis and 26 per cent using occasionally and 5 per cent using cocaine on a daily basis and 40 per cent using occasionally. In a sense, when one takes the people who take heroin illicitly and puts them into a prescription situation in which they receive a purer drug, they will benefit. However, the amount of heroin available in society remains the same, if not increases. The price goes down as availability increases. The heroin dealers will not pack up and go away because they did not win that one; they will try somewhere else. The effect across society is negative. The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
The federal Labor Party says it will provide free heroin. Part of the state Labor Party not only wants to do the same thing but also to decriminalise possession, consumption and cultivation of cannabis in what they call small amounts. That was done in South Australia, and the result is the biggest export marijuana industry in Australia. That is the problem that we face. The answer must be no; we will not do this. That is the right policy decision based on the evidence and what is happening elsewhere. The Opposition will not do that; it has no drug policy at all.
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