The Australian Capital Territory is set to decriminalize small amounts of illicit drugs in October.
People found with small quantities of substances including cocaine, methamphetamine and ice will be fined but won’t be faced with criminal charges. Greens Senator Johnathan Davis says they want to treat drug use as the “health issue that it is” rather than “a criminal issue”. “We know that people suffering with substance addiction require a health intervention and that trapping them in a cycle through the criminal justice system and prison terms do not make our community safer – it doesn’t heal their drug addiction, or their substance abuse issues,” Mr Davis told Sky News Australia.
“We require a new approach if we’re serious about reducing the harm from drug use and the harm on the broader community.”