DRUG related crimes in Wellington are on the rise, and authorities on drug prevention are calling for an overhaul of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
In the Capital, drug related crime has gone up 18% from 2008 to 2009, and cannabis offences are up 19% (295 offences).
Police officer in charge of metro crime Paul Hampton expects higher rates for 2010 after the success of “Operation Lime”, which targeted businesses such as Switched on Gardener.
President of the Law Commission, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, says the Misuse of Drugs Act needs to take a different approach to offences involving the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.
“More flexible approaches are likely to be much more effective at reducing drug harm than simply punishing drug users,” Palmer said in an issues Paper on Controlling and Regulating Drugs.
Palmer, whose alcohol law reforms gained much notoriety, is to finalise his drug recommendations in July.
Tim Harding, the CEO of national addiction treatment agency CareNZ, is urging the government to update its drug laws.
“The laws have been the same for 35 years, but the way people use drugs has changed beyond recognition. [The law] needs to be based on evidence, not philosophies and fear,” Harding says. “65% of kids have experimented with cannabis by 21. It’s ridiculous; we are saying 65% of young New Zealanders are criminals.”
Harding is concerned that early government reaction to Palmer’s statements wasn’t positive.
“Immediately there was the reaction to dismiss the recommendations so [the government] doesn’t look like it’s soft on drugs.”
Policeman Hampton says any law change needs to maintain “an awareness of consequences”.
“There is identified harm caused by cannabis, harm to communities, to people’s health. The harm we see in children; a drop in performance in education and sport,” says Hampton.
Decriminalising cannabis would be negative, he says, because it would normalise the drugs use.
“You have to show them it’s not worth it and there are consequences down the track.”
Hampton says the “clean slate” scheme and diversion are effective measures, but it doesn’t hurt to review and make laws more effective.
CareNZ doesn’t downplay the negative effects of cannabis, however.
“It can be a trigger for mental health disorders, and is especially harmful for growing minds,” says Harding.
WellTrust is the secondary school drug support service for the Wellington region, and CEO Murray Trenberth says any reform should focus on reducing harm to youth.
“We are the biggest cannabis smokers in the world, and we can’t afford it in this little nation.”
While Trenberth’s “old brain” is working at 3km/h, he says while a youth’s mind is developing it’s racing at 150km/h.
“The potential for harm is so great,” he says.
Trenberth works with the police, taking on child and youth offenders, as well as drug prevention agencies like the CareNZ.
“I’m inclined to agree with both of them. I’d hate to see [cannabis] used like we use alcohol in our homes, we are role models. But prohibition has not worked either.”
Meanwhile, CareNZ treats around 1,000 people a year for drug problems in Wellington – 78% for alcohol, and 10% for “meth”.
This Saturday 26 June is the United Nation’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and Harding says the ‘drug’ label applies to legal and illegal substances.
Methamphetamine receives a great deal of media attention, says Harding, but alcohol deals out the most damage in society.
“If you look at directly attributable death, tobacco is number one, followed by alcohol. Meth is not even in the same league”.
NZ Drug Foundation director Ross Bell says the UN changed the day’s focus to ‘health issues’ after some countries became over enthusiastic.
“To highlight the day in China, they would pull out drug criminals from jail and publicly execute them,” says Bell.
He says drugs should be treated as a health and social issue rather than a criminal justice issue and New Zealand should take a lead from West Australia’s drug laws.
“It’s important for us to find new ways to tackles the issues, like the laws in West Australia, where they pour money into prevention, treatment and education. The law commission’s review shows the 35 year-old drug laws are obsolete.”
Jamie Melbourne-Hayward