On ABC Local Radio on the evening of 2 April 2012, ahead of
today’s launch of Australia21’s report on illicit drugs policy, PM host Mark Colvin interviewed former
NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery QC on the need for drug
reform.
In his opening response Nick said:
NICK COWDERY: I'm not advocating in respect of any drugs that they
should simply be available to anybody who wants them, certainly not. The prongs
of the approach that I would hope we would move towards - and it will not
happen quickly, it will not happen overnight and it may not happen in relation
to all drugs - but what I would like to see is the legalisation, the regulation
- so it's not just supermarket stuff - the control and the taxation of drugs.
Much as we do with alcohol and nicotine at present.
We know that they cause us a lot of trouble. But because they're out in
the open and because the Government can put controls around the supply and
consumption of those drugs - alcohol and nicotine - we can reduce the harms
that they cause.
He then responded to a question from Mark about the
Portuguese experience of decriminalisation.
Read the full transcript of the interview here.
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