ReageraMera

Excellencies, Conference Organisers, Distinguished Colleagues and Friends -  May I extend sincerest thanks, on behalf of Drug Free Australia, to Her Majesty, Queen Sylvia  for her Patronage of the First World Forum against Drugs and to the visionary organisers of the historic event we have all experienced over the last 3 days.

My segment of this Closing Session is entitled, ‘The importance of WFAD - an Australian Perspective.

Ladies and Gentlemen, quite simply, Australia's Illicit Drug Policy must change - and this Forum has the potential to be a catalyst to do that - in very real terms.

The fact is that, according to the United Nations World Drug Report, Australia continues to have one of the highest illicit drug use rates in the OECD. Yet statistics show that the majority of Australians do not want, nor do they approve of these drugs.

The 2007 National Household Survey results show that:

99% don't approve of hard drugs

94% don't approve of cannabis

79% don't want cannabis legalised

Most Australians want tougher penalties for drug dealers.

Let me share with you my dream - it is the dream of the majority of Australians - to rid our country of the scourge of illicit drugs. But before I do so, it is important for me to introduce you to the organisation I represent here today.

Drug Free Australia (DFA), was formally established in 2002, after many years of planning by dedicated people who could see the destructive influence of Harm Reduction, without prevention and effective Demand Reduction in Australia's drug policy.

In 2006, with some Federal Government funding, Drug Free Australia was able to begin its community education and outreach programs more effectively.

We have a high profile Patron, tennis champion, Dr Margaret Court and a dedicated President, Mr Craig Thompson, recently retired Family Court magistrate and specialist in drug-related mental health disorders.  We have a national Board of Directors with vast experience in alcohol and drug rehabilitation, education, and law enforcement fields. One of our Directors may be known to many of you - Major Brian Watters, who is also a member of the INCB.

Our work is supported by 24 Research Fellows, an influential group of specialists who advise us on national and international matters - seven of whom, I am very pleased to say, have been present at this Forum.

In the last 2 years, DFA has also built a strong supporter base comprising individuals and organisations representing almost 217,000 people.

In the same period, we have established an expanding group of youth advisers who assist us with community education and keep us current on matters relating to young people - who, as we have heard at this conference - are some of the most vulnerable when it comes to the dangers of drug use.

Now, let us look at Australia's current drug policy and what it has delivered to the Australian people. I have time today, only to give you a snapshot:

Internationally comparisons are very alarming

As mentioned previously, we have the highest rates of overall drug use in the OECD. The main drugs of concern are the use of ATS - and in particular Ecstasy. If we compare Australia and Sweden, Australia is much higher is all drug categories, with ATS being at least 20 times greater use per capita that in Sweden. Specific statistics bear this out - so, in terms of drug use, let us look at what has happened over the last 12 months in Australia ...

The trends from the 2007 Household Survey

A 2% drop in cannabis use. BUT there are still at least 200,000 people in Australia (in a population of 20 million people) who admit to being addicted to cannabis. With current evidence of direct links to mental illness and a raft of other health and safety issues, we should be more than a little concerned.

An ANCD report in 2006 indicated an alarmingly high use of methamphetamines, with a conservative 73,000 addicted to the drug ‘ICE'. Even with a slight drop of 0.9% (or less than 700 people) this is an area of growing concern.

An increase in underage binge drinking; an unprecedented increase in cocaine use.Further, in the youth population:1 in 10    12-14 year olds binge drink; 1 in 5 16 year olds drank at harmful levels; 1 in 7 secondary school students use cannabis; over 67,000 secondary students have used amphetamines

And some new evidence this week on drug driving, with a Victorian Police study showing that 15% of drivers killed in road accidents tested positive to cannabis and 8% to amphetamines. Ladies and Gentlemen, these figures have tripled since 2003.

Research compiled by the Australian Institute of Family Studies and reported this week, has found that a substantial number of Australian children are living in households where adults routinely misuse alcohol and other drugs.

The research shows that in cases of substantiated child abuse or neglect, 33 per cent of parents experienced significant problems with substance abuse and 31 per cent with alcohol abuse.

And disturbingly, it is estimated that 30 per cent of abused or neglected children go on to maltreat children in some way when they are adults.

It also warns that existing data underestimates the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on children, because current national surveys do not collect information on parental status or child care responsibilities.

We ask ... When are we going to look seriously at the Rights of the Child?

Why is Australia in this unacceptable position? The answer is quite simply, that a policy of Harm Minimisation has been adopted, without the necessary prevention and demand reduction strategies in place.

‘Harm Minimisation' - in real terms sends the message that: illegal drug use will always exist, so why try to change? drug users should have a right to choose when (or if) they will stop using and they should be assisted to use illegal drugs more safely.

This policy equates to ‘parking the ambulance at the bottom of a cliff to catch the people as they fall off'.

How does this policy translate into Harm Reduction, without prevention? This list is extensive, but here are a few examples: An injecting room in Sydney; Needle Programs that lack accountability including no exchange nor referral requirement; Brochures with mixed messages directed to young people and students in schools - for example, if you ‘choose to use' here is how to do it safely; Lack of funding for recovery-based rehabilitation BUTFunding for drug user organisations  - for example there is an organization called the Australian Injecting Drug Users' League that received funding for ‘peer education' to help people use drugs ‘safely'; high priority to Methadone maintenance - many people remain on methadone for life, and overdose rates are high; decriminalisation of cannabis - where at most, people are given a warning, or perhaps charged an expiation fee;

drug traffickers who receive light or even suspended sentences - little or no deterrent in the legal system and there is also a lack of consistency in drug laws across the country.

What are the solutions?

In the relatively short time of two and a half years, Drug Free Australia has worked hard to bring the issues and solutions into communities at the local level AND to talk to political leaders.

For example, we have:

Conducted community forums in every state and territory to educate people; compiled of eight (8) research papers to government; presented to Federal Parliamentary Inquiries; worked in High Schools, particularly in conjunction with a National Schools Competition - ‘Let's Keep Drug Free'; worked directly with indigenous communities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I take special time out to mention DFA's work with Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. On the first day of this Forum we heard from my fellow Australian, Tania Major about the plight of Australia's Indigenous people - with the shocking fact that conservatively alcohol and drug related deaths among her people are 21 times higher than in the overall population. We also heard that the youth population is particularly vulnerable. Drug Free Australia is working hard to bring these issues to the notice of the government. We are in a unique position, due to the work of one of our Directors and her husband (a doctor) who work closely, on the ground, with the peoples of Bagot Community in Darwin. As a result, we have had direct consultations with indigenous communities in Darwin, Arnhem Land and in Central Australia and have produced a working paper for the Federal Government's latest inquiry. As a result of this Forum, I would like to continue contact with Tania in support of her efforts.

In our work with political leaders we have asked numerous questions and provided them with policy statements for consideration as alternatives to those of Harm Minimisation.

We are encouraged by the fact that the new Federal Government's illicit drug policy covers prevention. Therefore our current line of discussion covers questions such as: Will there be an equivalent to the ‘Tough on Drugs' strategy? Will the recommendations of the 2007  bi-partisan Parliamentary Inquiry into the Impact of Illicit Drugs on Families and its report entitled ‘The Winnable War on Drugs', be seriously considered?

What is the impact of the new National Corrections Strategy and the government's position on allowing needles in prisons? What is the Federal Government's reaction to the lobbying of the international pro drug group the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) in its attempts to form partnerships with government agencies?

Most importantly, will the Australian government vote to retain the United Nations Drug Conventions at a UN meeting in 2009?

Ladies and Gentlemen - dear friends, there is a lot to be done, but WFAD offers very real solutions and opportunities for us all.

I personally have taken heart in getting to know many of you and the issues you face. We now know that we are not alone.

Although this is the concluding session, I'm sure you will agree with me that it represents an exciting new beginning. Let us take heart from the wise words of Dr Robert DuPont: ‘You alone can do it, but you cannot do it alone'

Let us continue to work together in 3 ways:

Continue to network

Support and sign the WFAD Resolution for the UNGASS meeting in 2009

Help to realize the historical formation of a World FEDERATION Against Drugs

Let us tell our supporters - this year is CRITICAL

Again, may I say a sincere thank you to the hard working organisers of this amazing Forum and to say - we are here to support all future outcomes from it and global initiatives in drug prevention.