FED: Young Labor calls for drug policy review

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-1999
FED: Young Labor calls for drug policy review

CANBERRA, April 18 AAP - The Labor Party should investigate legal injecting rooms as part
of an overhaul of its illicit drugs policy, the party's youth wing said.

An Australian Young Labor (AYL) conference yesterday called for an immediate party-wide
review of Labor's treatment of illicit drugs.

The AYL executive will develop a policy document that will investigate such aspects as
making injecting rooms accessible to all communities and that criminalisation of illicit drugs
has not answered Australia's drug problem.

"The current approach to Australia's drug problem has done nothing to save the thousands of
Australians who have drug problems or who die from drug-related causes," AYL secretary Paul
Bini said.

"(Prime Minister) John Howard's zero policy ideas will only make things worse."

The drug resolution comes two weeks after Labor leader Kim Beazley released the party's
discussion paper on drugs, which advocated education and a more innovative approach to the
drug problem.

AAP rmg/kr

KEYWORD: DRUGS LABOR

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