The Options For Drug Law Reform In Australia
Many of the people that are currently in a residential drug rehab facility have arrived there as a result of the criminal justice system and, specifically, a court decided that, based on the circumstances of that individual, a stay in drug rehab would be more beneficial than sending them to prison. The fact that a person is addicted to drugs rather than someone who supplies or manufactures them illegally makes a huge difference.
Whilst the court sending them to drug rehab rather than prison is rightly seen as a more enlightened approach, many feel strongly that the criminal justice in Australia and specifically the law related to drugs is not fit for purpose and needs a radical rethink and subsequent overhaul.
From the outset, one of the problems with changes to the laws relating to drug use is that there are people with a vast array of different views, solutions, and ideas, and so there is no single approach from those who wish to see change. Weigh that up against those who oppose changes to drug laws, of which there are many, and you can see why any changes happening are not going to occur without a long and serious debate.