Emphasise drug use prevention, not punishment, AD says
Malta should follow the example of countries which decriminalised drugs for personal use, AD chairman Michael Briguglio said.
Addressing a news conference, he said:
“Education remains a key tool for policies on drugs. People should be conscious of their various effects and, if they seek help, they should receive it. But criminalising people for making use of drugs has been a failure not only in terms of policy but, even more so, with respect to those whose criminalisation has resulted in a spiral of hardships.
“Personal use of drugs should be decriminalised. The victims of drug addiction and dependency are to be considered as persons in need of help and not as criminals. At the same time, decriminalisation also ensures that recreational drug users, including those who cultivate soft drugs for personal use, are not criminalised for their lifestyle”.
AD spokesman Robert Callus said: "With the emphasis being on punishment rather than prevention, treatment and harm reduction, the war on drugs is proving to be a miserable failure.
“A lot of countries are realising this and re-thinking their legislation. The most notable model is that of Portugal, which AD endorses. In Portugal hard drug addicts decreased by half in 10 years, and deaths and HIV also decreased following a successful health campaign.
Mr Callus said drugs should be classified according to their effect. Besides, certain anomalies should be corrected.
Nurturing a plant for one’s own use was not being treated as for personal use, but was considered a separate crime - of cultivation, that carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence, the equivalent of trafficking, even if the user had no intention to sell.
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anthony sultana
Feb 12th, 18:41
AD is a party with ideology free from stress.Other parties from the past to now this minute their ideology are so stressful ,and doesn't look is going to change.Lets put a politician from the green party in parliament to help us out.
Tim Vella
Feb 12th, 16:55
Never underestimate the need for young dopes to defy the conventional laws.
You want them to brush their teeth? Make it illegal.
Make toothpaste illegal... and they'll be standing on the roof brushing away. It's natural to human beings, I think it's a healthy thing.
Anth. Xuereb
Feb 12th, 16:15
we have to wait for the outcome of some cases in court about people challenging the system for growing there own pot for personel use. when a case , any actual case will be one, the laws HAVE TO CHANGE.
there,s no other way. period
J Schembri
Feb 12th, 14:52
all PL and PN candidates should be jailed not someone smoking pot, for FALSE ADVERTISEMENT during the electoral campaign : ) which costs us a lot !!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 13:44
Unfortunately, as those with experience with drug abuse victims would tell you, actual punishment at law, or the fear of such impending punishment, are the strongest inducements for an addict to make a serious attempt to cure his habit and to rehabilitate himself in society. Even so, serial "probations" and "suspended sentences" regularly prove to be of no avail and society continues to suffer.
A.R Bonello
Feb 12th, 14:02
@ F Saliba
¨as those with experience with drug abuse victims would tell you¨
Maybe like ¨Clinical director of the government’s own drug agency Sedqa, Dr George Grech: who in 2010 called for a national discussion on decriminalization.¨ ??
Luke Lanzon
Feb 12th, 14:37
Actually looking at documentaries it's more the fear of death or for the sake of their families that causes people to go to rehab, drug users don't fear the punishment.... it's more of an adrenaline rush when punishment is involved. Probations and light sentences give people a chance to fix their life without a stain on their record.
John Borg Barthet
Feb 12th, 15:57
That's a complete assumption! Punishing drug users encourages use even more as it automatically ostracises them and brands them as criminals.
Tim Vella
Feb 12th, 16:55
Never underestimate the need for young dopes to defy the conventional laws.
You want them to brush their teeth? Make it illegal.
Make toothpaste illegal... and they'll be standing on the roof brushing away. It's natural to human beings, I think it's a healthy thing.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 12th, 21:58
@ A R Bonello
A national "discussion" on decriminalisation does NOT mean a "recommendation" that drugs be decriminalised. I Thought that would be obvious but evidently it is not for some drug abuse advocates.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 11:36
@TimVella
No wonder that we are faced with a confused young generation if their elders take your advice and tell youngsters that "forbidden" means "allowed" that "good" means "bad" and that "white" means black. With that kind of advice they would not need marijuana or any other drug to hallucinate or otherwise distort their brain function.
A.R Bonello
Feb 13th, 11:58
@ F Saliba
Oh, so the director of SEDQA called for a national discussion on decriminalization because, like you, he thinks it is not the right thing? Seriously?
Time to move on from your 1930´s attitude don´t you think?
Drug abuse victims must be helped not criminalized....simple.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 14:02
@ A R Bonello
Your questions are your admission that you do not know.
Unlike you, I do not ask you questions. I know what I am talking about and also what you imply without having the guts to say so openly.
I agree that drug victims need to be helped but not by aggravating their addiction by promoting the easier supply of mind-altering drugs.
A.R Bonello
Feb 13th, 17:45
@F Saliba
Maybe it is your inability to answer a simple question that proves which way this argument is swaying.
You never once suggested how this miserable failure of a war on people(drugs) can be bettered...but there again you know what you are saying and I don´t!
According to you Decriminalization aggravates addiction by promoting the easier supply of mind-altering drugs. Ridiculous!
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 21:26
@A R Bonello.
It is not ridiculous to deduce that decriminalising drug abuse would increase the quantity of drugs available in the open market, their greater consumption, more addiction and bigger demands on the health services for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims. That should be obvious to those who are not influenced by mind-altering drugs.
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 13th, 21:31
@ John Borg Barthet.
By your reasoning, punishing robbers and murderers encourages more robbery and murders because the law automatically ostracises robbers and murderers and brands them as criminals! What sublime illogicality!
A.R Bonello
Feb 14th, 00:22
@F Saliba
1 / 2
“The main point in [our] report was to recommend decriminalization...because of the way laws are applied, which have not worked. We have applied them for decades and it's got the prisons filled with lots of young people who sometimes come out destroyed for having half an ounce...
A.R Bonello
Feb 14th, 00:23
@F Saliba
2/2
[W]e should approach it through education [and] health issues rather than a brutal reaction... There is need for change in policy, but it has to start with debate and discussion... I think the whole approach has to be reviewed.”
Kofi Annan Former Secretary-General of United Nations
stephen mifsud
Feb 12th, 13:21
cannabis is safe and no one deserves to get a fine or jail for,the use of Cannabis ...its illegal to keep,the police and lawyers and courts working on a full time basis ...job security ...
Michael Grech
Feb 12th, 13:12
Most people reading this are probably thinking that this issue shouldnt be given a high priority. However, each year drugs are becoming more common at parties. The problem isn't that they are illegal but that most people think that they need them to have fun....signs of a deeper physcological problem that needs addressing
John Borg Barthet
Feb 12th, 13:10
Well done AD! Neither PN/PL has taken a stance on illegal boathouses either, they must be too busy herding sheep!
Jean-Michel Azzopardi
Feb 12th, 12:39
Vote AD
david camilleri
Feb 12th, 12:36
The cultivation and use of cannabis that I don’t consider more harmful than cigarettes at least the decriminalization of the personal drug use is the way to go.
A.R Bonello
Feb 12th, 12:06
“I think that most small amounts of marijuana have been decriminalized in some places, and should be. We really need a re-examination of our entire policy on imprisonment.”
Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 16th, 17:34
@ A R Bonello
To me Bill Clinton is no authority on ethics. Ask Ms Lewinski about him.
David Camilleri
Feb 12th, 11:16
While the big parties focus their speeches on showing off the scandals carried out by each (where most of them are true and are a big shame to both) AD is actually proposing some good initiatives. However we all know that Maltese people are conservative, fear change and brainwashed, and therefore the votes will go to PN or PL unfortunately.
anthony sultana
Feb 12th, 11:04
Our prison is full of nonsense crimes like position of pots,AD is right why fill the prison with people for some cannabis for pesonal use.Fill the prison with violent people which Malta is full of them.
James Micallef
Feb 12th, 10:30
Drug abuse is a public health problem not a law enforcement problem. The problems are solved with more education and more doctors/nurses, NOT with more policemen. The police have more important things to do
Gorg Sciberras
Feb 12th, 10:17
"In Portugal hard drug addicts decreased by half in 10 years, and deaths and HIV also decreased following a successful health campaign."
AD needs to research its proposals better. They should know that HIV transmission among drug users in Malta is not a major problem so far. Also, are they saying that we have a high levels of deaths from drug use? Where are the numbers?
J Schembri
Feb 12th, 09:58
we need these guys in parliament.
These are the people who are REALLY ready for change to happen !
other political parties = nonsense and try to steal our votes, thanks to their marketing strategies .
BUT NOT ANYMORE : )
Stefan Vella
Feb 12th, 11:43
THANKS SO MUCH ! finally someone with some sense. why are all the rest of the people so blind ?
Anthony Scicluna
Feb 12th, 11:56
Stefan
Many people are not blind. The problem is that the way electoral districts are made to constitute an electoral and parliamentary majority excludes the possibility of AD ever having a chance
Andre Vella
Feb 12th, 12:55
@Anthony Scicluna
Winning 2000 votes in a district of 25000 valid voters is not such a far fetched idea.
This is how the British Greens made it to parliament, they elected the first seat in their history from 1 district.
Its a snowball effect, you start with one. But you have to believe it teh first time and make that leap of faith and vote 1 for AD.
Please choose the reason of your report below: