NSW Government set to shake-up drug response
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has revealed the state government’s response to the ice inquiry.
The drug-induced deaths of a number of young Australians led to the launch of a Special Commission of Inquiry into the drug ice in 2018.
One of the responses to the inquiry will see people who are caught with small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use will no longer have to go to court in the first instance.
Instead, there will be a $400 fine and a rehabilitation program that they must complete.
Mr Perrottet stated the government has supported 86 recommendations from the inquiry.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said that police will now have discretion in handing out fines related to drug offences.
The state government believes the changes to the drug response “focuses on the individual” and combines ” justice concerns, health concerns and puts people as the main focus”.
Nine News reporter Liz Daniels has more details on the response.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman said there will be two criminal infringement notices per offender.
Liz Daniels told Joe Hildebrand the government has still yet to decide what drugs the rules will apply to.
“We are talking about potentially all drugs coming down to this policy,” she said.
“They [police] say that they are not going soft on drugs but in fact, this is the best way to stop people taking drugs. ”
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Mark Levy and Chris O’Keefe previously broke the news.
“It’s not going to be something that’s in place in the next couple of weeks, unlikely to even be in place by the March election,” Chris O’Keefe said.
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