Advocacy

We act as a national drug policy advocate, promoting a better way for society to manage and mitigate the health consequences of drug use.

“We promote evidence-based health policies that avoid moral judgements and criminalising people who use drugs”
Dr John Sherman.

We support other vital reforms that represent stepping stones on the path to a government-controlled regulated drug market, like pill testing, safe injecting facilities and decriminalisation of drugs.

We believe that Australia should adopt a decriminalised but regulated framework for the personal use of all drugs based on Portugal's highly successful drug law reform of 2001.

Other examples of successful drug programs that can be implemented or expanded in Australia include:

• Heroin-assisted therapy (HAT) used successfully in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as a means to help users stay alive and disease-free;
• Federal funding to expanding Australia's Medically Supervised Injecting Facilities beyond Melbourne and Sydney that have proven to save lives;

Events and Outreach

We regularly hold public events that raise awareness of the current issues with Australia’s drug laws, and the urgent need for legal regulation. These events frequently draw upon the best international approaches to drug policy.

In June 2021, Johann Hari led our annual event for Support. Don’t Punish day at the Astor Theatre in Melbourne, where he introduced an exclusive screening of The United States vs. Billie Holiday film, based on his bestseller, Chasing the Scream.

We also appear at festivals across Australia, providing education programs tailored to different consumer groups that help to minimise the harms associated with drug use.

All Australians with an interest in drug law reform are welcome to participate in these activities.

Media

We welcome any chance to contribute to public debate via the media or social media and aim to use these opportunities to educate decision-makers and the public about local and international drug law reform initiatives.

"We reject the prohibitionist approach to drug policy epitomised by the failed war on drugs." - Greg Chipp

Our people are available to provide commentary on issues related to alcohol and other drugs on all mediums. To find out which member of our team might be best placed to discuss a particular story, you can read their biographies here.

Strategic Partnerships

We develop strategic partnerships within the AOD sector, especially with educators, researchers, health professionals and organisations. We hope to promote alignment across the sector and civil society to highlight the urgent need for drug law reform.

The United Nations

As a member of the International Drug Policy Consortium and the Vienna NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs, we have Consultative Status with the United Nations (UN).

This enables our people to speak on the floor of the UN, and to influence debate around drug policy on an international scale. It also ensures our team continues to learn from overseas approaches to reform and to collaborate with the best and most knowledgeable individuals and organisations.