Australia ‘not sending the right message’ about drug use

Australia’s ‘war’ on drugs has long been lost and it’s time for a new approach, a medical expert says.

There are renewed calls for ‘drug testing booths’ to be introduced at music festivals following the death of a 25-year-old woman at Stereosonic in Sydney at the weekend.

But the idea has been met with fierce criticism, with some suggesting it ‘all but legitimises’ drug use.

But Dr David Caldicott told Neil Mitchell it was undoubtedly time for a new approach.

‘The drug war has long been lost,’ he explained on 3AW Mornings.

‘What we’re doing the moment is clearly not working.

‘What we need now is somebody politically brave enough to say that.

‘We’ve spent trillions of dollars on this and people are still dying in this way.

‘If a pharmacist is not paying any attention to the message that’s being put out there, then I would put it to you that the message is not the right message.’

He said testing booths would ‘clearly’ save lives.

But Dr Caldicott stopped short of calling for drug use to be made legal.

‘I’m not a huge fan of having a free for all, I think that would be a catastrophic approach,’ he said.

Click PLAY below to hear Dr Caldicott’s chat with Neil Mitchell.