Illicit Drugs and Bikers in Australia

A great deal of harm is caused by illicit drugs, particularly to dependant users. Drug use damages the user and diminishes an individual’s social cohesion. An individual’s dependency on illicit drugs places a heavy burden on the Australian legal system, welfare(Centrelink), the justice system(lawyers) and the medical system. The many burdens caused by the manufacture, supply and use of illicit drugs effect the efficiency of Australia. The Drugs misuse and trafficking Act 1985 (NSW) applies to over 240 drugs, including

The cost of substance abuse in Canada is astronomical. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), in 2002 alcohol accounted for about $14.6 billion and illegal drugs for about $8.2 billion in social cost (Single, Robertson, Rehm, & Xie, 2002). This cost was measured in terms of the burden on health care and law enforcement, and productivity in the workplace or home. Arguably, the greatest cost may be immeasurable: human suffering and tragic loss of lives. This suffering is not limited to only of those wrestling with these problems, but extends those around them: family, friends, co-workers and society as a whole.

“Drug policy regarding the control of the traditional illicit substances (opiates, cocaine, cannabis) is currently moving through upbeat times in almost all Western countries. Prohibition on the basis of repressive law enforcement not only seems to fail on a large scale, but also to create vast additional costs, problems, and harm for drug consumers, who often find themselves in extreme social, economic, and health conditions” (Fischer 1995: 389).

This year, a drug court will be created at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Farrah Tomazin writes. This implementation is in conjunction with the Australian Government’s Ice Action Plan, in hopes to halt Australia’s growing methamphetamine issue. The proceedings of a drug court begin with identification of offenders in need of drug treatment, following with community

Sixty-seven percent of people who were surveyed believe that treatment should be emphasized for those who use illegal drugs rather than punishment. Only 26 percent believe jail sentencing should be emphasized. And the percentage of people who believe that the governments should do away with minimum mandatory sentences for drug crimes increased from 47 percent in 2001 to 2014. This addresses the wider question of how to deal with drug offenders in a way that will best help them rather than being sentenced to jail. Receiving treatment rather than jail sentencing is one that has come up an amount of times in the last few months, as Queensland struggles with the best way to help drug addicts. The law from the 1970s allows judges to send addict law-breakers

Some trends that are beginning to be recognised is the increase of drug syndicates, and pregnant women becoming addicted to drugs. As well as politicians admitting “the war on drugs” as a failure. These few choice articles as well as three specific court cases, all of these cases as well as the articles are evidence towards the fact that the Australian Legal system is having trouble with keeping up with the every changing contemporary issues, which plague our society. The “ABC NEWS” have recently covered articles that talk about drug syndicates, one article is on how Australians were being tricked into being ‘drug mules’ for West African drug syndicate, “the Australian Federal Government and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have made a series of high-level representations to China this year, troubled by evidence a wave of Australians in Chinese prisons were duped or coerced into smuggling millions of dollars’ worth of drugs”. The article by Sean Rubinsztien-Dunlop and Jeanavive McGregor also states that the syndicate scammed or pressured scores of vulnerable people. Now roughly 26 or so Australians are being detained in China. Closer to home in Newcastle, New South Wales the second “ABC NEWS” article explains how the police claimed to have dismantled a drugs syndicate, making four arrests. The article states that “Newcastle detectives are claiming

The issue of drug policy is one that has plagued our society for decades now, and will continue to linger until we finally become proactive make some bold decisions. With over twenty thousand deaths each year, in Canada alone, due to illicit substances , this is a problem that must be addressed immediately. Many people know where to turn when they have alcohol addiction issues, most turn to Alcoholics Anonymous for example. Smokers are also offered many incentives and advertisements that deter smoking and help them in their struggle to quit. But, there has been no major campaign or well known foundation to seek help in if you are having problems with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, or marijuana. Our problem in Canada is that these drugs are seen as merely a judicial and criminal issue, rather than a public issue which affects each and every one of us in society. In this essay, I will prove that the decriminalization, by the government of all drugs and implementing education on drugs instead will lead to a decline in drug related deaths and social issues.

In ‘The social life of smokes: Processes of exchange in a heroin marketplace’, Robyn Dwyer concludes that there are specific complex social processes involved in drug markets (Dwyer 2011). Her ethnographic research on the Footscray street based heroin marketplace in Melbourne, Australia indicates that drug research should be applied to relevant and effective policy making. In addition, this ethnographic research challenges society’s hostile perceptions towards drug exchange and main theoretical concepts through the introduction of alternative perspectives. The first perspective affirms that drug markets are determined by the behaviour of ‘market actors’, and the second asserts that drug dealers and users form intimate relationships (Dwyer

There was a great push for a non-judgmental approach that would ‘reduce physical, social and psychological risks to individuals who use drugs and to society as a whole’ (McCann & Temenos, 2015, p. 217). Never the less, this was a highly contested set of policy formulation across all levels of governance.

In Australia there is a multitude of medication available to us to increase our quality of life that are typically used appropriately in the community. However, there has been a growing number of individuals misusing pharmaceutical drugs and this has now become an emerging public issue in Australia and overseas. This research will be based on the misuse of the following pharmaceutical drugs: opioids, benzodiazepines and codeine. All of which have the potential to become an addiction. The extent to which these drugs are misused by individuals will range from those intentionally using these drug for recreational reasons, to those who are unware that they are misusing the drugs due to inappropriate prescribing.

In the span of 2013-14 the reports of drugs in Australia increased. There were record high reporting’s of many types of illicit drugs at the border patrol. Furthermore, many other illicit drugs had their second highest reporting in history. Cannabis is the most common drug in Australia. The number of detections of cannabis in 2013-2014 decreased, but the total weight of detected cannabis at the border control increased dramatically and was the biggest cannabis find in the last decade (Australian Drug Commission 2014). In the draft for the National Drug Strategy 2016-2025 cannabis is mentioned as a priority drug as it is the most common used illegal drug (Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs 2015). As the recent news that the Australian government is planning to legalise growing of medical cannabis there a gap in the policy of how to regulate medical cannabis and cannabis used as an illicit drug (Yaxley 2015).

In my research I was surprise to learn that an increase in the international drug trade and drug user estimated 14.8 million Americans were illegal drug users as of 1999. I also read that the international drug trade generates $200 to $300 billion dollars a year. And due to a great amount of budget that is spent, this gives the drug trafficker an advantage over the government that has a small budget. Illegal drugs are considered to be a major source of funding for organized crime. The Canadian government has attempted to address these problems by implementing a national drug strategy, which is meant to reduce the demand for and the supply of illicit drugs. Eleven federal government departments and agencies have spent approximately $500 million annually in addressing the illegal use of drugs. In order to optimize the effectiveness of such governmental initiatives and expenditures, it is useful to achieve greater understanding of major trends relating to drug offences. This information will assist policy makers and criminal justice professionals in deterring

“The debate on drugs is dominated by one, endlessly recurring argument. Should drugs be legal or prohibited?” Throughout the world, the subject of drugs is highly controversial therefore; the policy on drugs does vary from country to country. This essay will take note of the similarities and differences between not only the drug policies but also the public debate on drugs in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Firstly, the historical context and issues will be put into consideration, followed by the situation in the present day. The main texts discussed within this essay are “Drugs, Crime and Public Health: The political economy of drug policy – Alex Stevens” as well as “Understanding drugs, alcohol and crime – Trevor Bennet and

The Psychoactive Substances Act was implemented in 2013 after New Zealand saw a rise in the availability and misuse of psychoactive substances that were freely available as they were deemed legal (Ministry of Health a, 2015). This lead to the wider public calling these products “legal highs”

Currently drug abuse is the issue that has plagued almost all the societies in the world. This problem poses serious threat to the life of people both in developed and underdeveloped countries. There are different kinds of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and methamphetamine and so on (McGeorge & Aitken, 1997). Young and age-old people largely use many of these drugs. People usually consider these drugs as a relief from their worries, but these drugs lead them towards addition and psychotic disorders that eventually destroy their health. Legislative authorities in almost every part of the world have been trying to save their generations from the abuse, but the use of these drugs never ended. However, these legislations help to minimize the numbers of drug users where their implementation is done properly (Hall et al., 2004). The aim of this research paper is to provide knowledge about the Cannabis Legalization in Australia and the people’s approach who favor or oppose this legalization. Cannabis drug use, impacts, cannabis legalization in Australia and its advantages and disadvantages will also