Sherlock hails landmark day for drug policy reform: Government must now implement health-led approach
Sherlock hails landmark day for drug policy reform: Government must now implement health-led approach - The Labour Party
- Joint Committee on Drug Use calls on Government to introduce a comprehensive health-led approach to substance use and misuse.
- Government must now answer once and for all whether it supports the decriminalisation of people who use drugs in the face of clear evidence.
- Sherlock calls on Government to implement all 161 recommendations of the Committee’s report and warns against a piecemeal approach.
- Sherlock calls for a standing committee on drug use to monitor implementation.
- A health diversion scheme will fail without full decriminalisation.
Labour Health Spokesperson and member of the Joint Committee on Drug Use Marie Sherlock TD has hailed the publication of the Joint Committee on Drug Use Final Report as a landmark moment for drug policy reform in Ireland and has called on Government to act on all 161 recommendations of the Committee.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“The final report of the Joint Committee on Drug Use comes after months of deliberations and hearings with experts who presented very clear evidence: only a comprehensive health-led approach to drug use will succeed in addressing the major public health issue of substance use and misuse in Ireland.
“As a Committee, we have made 161 recommendations that would move Ireland from a system that criminalises, dehumanises and stigmatises people experiencing addiction to one based on support, care and compassion.
“For many years, Labour, and in particular my colleague and former Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP, has been at the forefront of pushing for a sea change in drug policy, from supporting supervised injection facilities to calling for the repeal of Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. Today, I am pleased that the Committee has recommended repealing Section 3 of the Act, which would decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use.
“The Government must now level with the public and say whether it accepts the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly and the Joint Committee, which were informed by the experiences of service users, families and organisations supporting people who use drugs.
“The war on drugs has failed. It is time for Government to admit that. Our report is crystal clear: addiction and substance misuse are deeply intertwined with poverty, intergenerational trauma, social exclusion and educational disadvantage. Our current approach is causing deep harm and marginalisation and is simply the wrong response to a complex problem. The report recognises that we should not criminalise people who are experiencing substance use disorders.
“We simply cannot police our way out of this problem. It is illogical to stigmatise and criminalise people who have fallen into addiction.
“Our report cannot become another document that sits on a shelf. A significant body of evidence and expertise has informed this groundbreaking report. That is why I believe a standing committee to monitor implementation is required, alongside a Cabinet sub-committee dedicated to addressing this major public health issue that is causing deep harm in communities across Ireland.
“I am very concerned that the draft National Drugs Strategy represented a retreat from decriminalisation. I hope the Government has gone back to the drawing board and will bring forward a strategy that reflects the evidence and the findings of the Joint Committee on Drug Use. Ministers must now nail their colours to the mast and commit to implementing the Committee’s recommendations.
“A health diversion scheme on its own will not be enough. If the Government is serious about adopting a health-led approach, it must also commit to full decriminalisation. Otherwise, we will continue to criminalise people who need support, treatment and care rather than punishment.”