|
SMH columnist
loses it on drugs
Media Release:
7 September 2007
"Michael
Duffy's column in today's
Sydney Morning Herald is simply
outrageous in its "illegal
drugs are fun and do no harm"
message . Drugs are the cause
of immense pain, crime and
waste of human life,"
Leader of the Nationals in
the Senate, Ron Boswell said
today.
"To
undermine this in any way
is a frightening thing to
do especially in such an influential
and prestigious publication
as the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Drugs
do extensive harm which has
been comprehensively proven.
Promoting the opposite and
advocating drug decriminalisation
is an abuse of Duffy's position
with the Herald which should
now be in serious doubt.
"To say that the use
of illegal drugs is harmless
unless you're caught is a
travesty of the drugs tragedy
in our community. Many government
resources are aimed at reducing
drug use and alerting especially
young people to the dangers
of illegal drugs.
"With one column, Duffy
dismisses this approach and
insists that drugs are fun.
Drugs are not fun, Mr Duffy,
when you're a parent watching
a child go through hell with
addiction and leading a criminal
and shortened life. Drugs
are not fun when you end up
dead on a dance floor. Drugs
are not fun when you end up
in mental health care for
the rest of your life.
"We have a free press.
What happened to the responsibility
that's supposed to go with
that - the responsibility
to be informed and attentive
to the signals you send out
that have so much power, for
good or ill.
ENDS
Media
Contact - 07 3001 8150
Michael
Duffy's article can be found
here:
Breaking
taboos - it's time we recognised
that illegal drugs are fun
Michael Duffy
September 7, 2007
"It's time to stand up
and say illegal drug use is
fun and - unless you get caught
- harmless. Yes, there are
exceptions to this. But far
fewer than if you tried to
make the same claim about
nicotine or alcohol or junk
food.
The criminalisation of recreational
drugs will one day be looked
back on with the incredulity
we now reserve for Prohibition.
The
criminalisation of fun drugs
is based on claims about the
harm they do, which fly in
the face of the experience
of a large proportion of the
population.
Link:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/breaking-taboos/2007/09/06/1188783413121.html
|
