Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter such as drug possession, drink driving or common assault, or accused of something as serious ...
Category: Drug Premises
Preventing Deaths from Drug Overdoses: Sniffer Dogs Are Not the Answer
By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim The recent 2016 “Listen Out” festival is another example that the government’s approach to drug enforcement is ineffective and even dangerous, putting party-goers in harm’s way. Despite the heavy police presence at the festival, reporters said they were offered drugs before even stepping inside the front gates. This is ...
Filipino President Continues Killing Spree in War Against Drugs
We recently reported on the newly elected Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte who publicly declared: “If you are involved in drugs, I will kill you. You son of a whore, I will really kill you.” On Friday, the President threatened to quit the United Nations and form a separate organisation with China and several African nations. His ...
Smoking Cannabis While Pregnant is “My Business”
Meet Billie Jo Wilkie, a 21-year-old from one of the most economically and socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney. If you were one of the 935,000 Australians who tuned in to the controversial TV show ‘Struggle Street’, you are probably familiar with her story. Billie is a smoker and regular drug user – and what’s more, ...
The zero-tolerance approach: do we really need to get ‘tough on crime’?
In 1989, President Bush proclaimed “The rules have changed: if you sell drugs, you will be caught, and when you’re caught, you will be prosecuted; and once you’re convicted, you will do time.” Many have declared the “war on drugs” a complete failure, with drug use and associated crime remaining a significant social problem, and ...
Legalisation of Cannabis Moves Closer
The campaign to legalise cannabis for medical purposes has taken an unexpected leap forward with support from the prime minister, and a clinical trial to go ahead in NSW. Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote a letter to well known talkback radio host Alan Jones earlier this month, announcing that he supported the use of cannabis ...
Will Australia ever ban cigarettes?
The tobacco industry has millions of dollars to invest in marketing and lobbying, and increasingly tough government measures are forcing cigarette companies to be inventive to stay in the market. The Daily Telegraph recently reported that one cigarette brand, British American Tobacco Australia, has started selling inexpensive cigarettes in a bid to keep customers despite ...
Drugs and the white collar sector
A record number of 86,918 drug seizures were made in Australia according to the latest Illicit Drug Data Report by the Australian Crime Commission. But not all of these will make front page headlines or prime time news. The population of drug suppliers within Australia is a mixed bunch and crosses all echelons of society. ...
Drug Addiction and Crime Affects People From All Backgrounds
The stereotypical drug addict is usually depicted as being from a low income or disadvantaged background, but drug addiction is far more widespread than that and affects people from all walks of life. Drug addiction also unfortunately often leads to a variety of crimes, from larceny and break and enter to support the habit all ...
Drug and Alcohol Programs for Inmates at Cessnock Jail
Drug and alcohol problems can be a significant contributor to levels of offending, and many jails in NSW recognise this and provide support and rehabilitation programs for inmates who suffer from addictions. If you know someone who has a substance dependence problem and is an inmate at Cessnock jail, they will have access to a ...