SBS forum on party drugs

[Cowboy Mac]

COMING UP ON INSIGHT...
DEALING WITH DRUGS

The prominent arrests of alleged heroin smugglers in Bali and Adelaide, the breaking of a cocaine smuggling ring in Sydney and the trial of Schapelle Corby have all highlighted that authorities are a long way from stamping out drug trafficking in Australia.

But while government and police have been engaged in war on drugs, the nature of illicit drug use in Australia has fundamentally changed. It has moved out of subcultures and into the mainstream. Many recreational drugs users see drugs like ecstasy as an alternative or complement to alcohol, using them from bars and pubs to people’s homes. Marijuana use is even more widespread. 85% of young people try marijuana by the age of 25. This is almost twice as much then other illicit drug. Meanwhile, the latest research on marijuana shows that the drug many thought was the least harmful turns out to be very dangerous from a mental health perspective. This however will only be true for a minority of users.

Experts agree that most young people either grow out of drugs or use them functionally as recreational drugs. Less than 15% of cannabis users will become dependent and around 5% for other illicit drugs.
So what is the best public health response?

Does a tough on drugs message fall on deaf ears? Should we be teaching our young how to take drugs safely? How effective is the “just say no” approach?

INSIGHT brings together a diverse group of 18-30 year olds to discuss their drugs use as well as the broader drug culture amongst the youth of today.
PARTY DRUGS, Tuesday 17 May at 7.30pm on SBS.

* PLEASE NOTE, INSIGHT IS REPEATED ON FRIDAYS AT 1PM

Source: SBS Insight

 

[middle finger]

^^ Thanks. I will be watching.

 

[DJC*]

Massiv props to the BL Crew who attended this event. From all accounts it was a great success. I can't wait to hear your reports guys and girl. :D

 

[gazmobile]

definitely agree with not capping the age at 30. I have a gay mate who is in his 20's but has a lot of friends in the gay scene well into their 30's who take drugs and party hard. I don't want to generalise but I think it's pretty safe to say that ppl in that particular scene party a lot harder for longer...maybe it's the fact that many don't have kids and a lot of the responsibities associated with raising families that their straight counterparts do. (of course this is not the norm with every single person..) , hence more disposable income at that age. In fact the opportunity to have more disposable income in ANY group of that age compared to ppl in their 20's. Hence I think the show should really focus on many different groups rather than 18-30's...gay men in their thirties, straight professional ppl in their 30's, truckdrivers, etc you get the drift !

cheers

 

[madmick19]

BiG PrOPs

i think big props should go to Johnboy, thinkingwelfare and nick the cheese


for their efforts during the taping of the show, it was such a good experience for all involved, i just wish we had more time to catch up afterward..............

well it certainly was an interesting night, from the nervous start forus to being called weakminded idiots for caving to peer pressure and trying drugs,
to being apologised to by a man "who on behalf of all parents and policy makers who has failed us, due to us (policy makers) taking the harm minimisation approach, where only tougher rules and punishments can fight the drug war" <-----WTF
somebody died and made him god appantly, who then regaled us with times of living in the 1940's and church dances.

then finishing with a very strange talk with anna wood's father which johnboy will post about once everyone who heard it can actually get our heads round what he actually said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!WTF

well i guess its up to seeing how its been edited, wether we are portrayed as mindless drug using morons or if they show that the majority are smart and educated non problematic drug users

 

[aunty establishment]

Re: BiG PrOPs

being apologised to by a man "who on behalf of all parents and policy makers who has failed us, due to us (policy makers) taking the harm minimisation approach, where only tougher rules and punishments can fight the drug war"

Ohhhh, please tell me JB ripped him a new one for that!! While it sounds like you guys probably had a rough time I feel reassured that you had johnboy in your camp (not saying the others of you couldn't hold your own, I'm just familiar with his style )

It sounds like it's going to be an interesting show. Presume someone will be able to host it for us non-Aussies to cop an eyeful?

 

[johnboy]

well there was at least one gay man in his thirties, one straight professional bloke in their 30's (me) and a mechanic. can you drive a truck, mick?

more later

 

[stulic]

Props to jb good job n the show was allright.

 

[augie march]

fantastic debate, no, unbelievably good debate. congratulations to everybody.

my parents thought about both sides, resounding impact.

(i had to laugh at the greek looking man in the suit who labeled people black sheep, weakminded etc)

 

[hazchem]

Congratulations SBS, that was a truley unbiased aproach to the drug problem

and I'd juyst like to say Johnboy you did great mate!, you had some very calm intelligent input to the discussion.

kudos to you

 

[pharmy1717]

id just like to say wow great work johnboy and all the other ppl who represented the white sheep!!!it was great to see harm minimisation being acknowledged on prime time and it being discussed!!!!ohmigod some of the comments of ppl at the forum- Mr wood for instance (sorry bout his daughter, but he has no idea!!), and the old guy who was talking about harm minimisation failing (does he know wat it is!)!!congratulations ppl you all spoke so well and hopefully these views can be made known to the government!!!!
ps alex wodak is cool too

 

[Jimity]

Did Mr "Blacksheep" get shanked in the carpark?

Just wondering, because thanks to him, I nearly put my fist through my TV.

That show was very good, though I think a lot of bullshit and sensationalism was thrown around by the people on the right, who seemed only to deal with people who've already crossed that line were all afraid of.

Great job everyone who was there.

 

[dada]

That Narci dude whos daughter died said he was happy with the current government policy. The same one wich has allowed his daughter to die.... The guy who talked about drug regulation was cool But i wonder why BL the site wasn't mentioned on air that wud have been grate.

 

[dada]

Good work guys

 

[phase_dancer]

Well done everyone

You're all been immortalized, but hey, I'm preaching to the converted here....might try the sbs chat..

 

[notneo]

^Good to see that there were at least a couple of people on that show who actually put their point accross without being bias.

Unfortunately I really didn't think much was said in that show, good way for different people to express their oppinion but I think it was just that.

It's so funny that people who are respected in the community for their roles and jobs will completely ignore the fundemental ideas raised and simply respond with rubbish.

I mean who in their right mind can be against pill testing at events and the similar. I mean people who are there are there to take drugs to begin with, you aren't informing non users about drugs or telling them to take specific brands, simply telling them what is contained in the pill they already have. Anyone who has a problem with this must be on the govt. payroll or a complete fuckhead who has no real concern for drug users.

 

[chugs]

Holy fuck who was that wanker that was sitting 2 rows in front of johnboy in the suit.

What a moron - who let him in - looks like he was sent by the mormans or something

That was a good debate though - that bloke from RNS (alex i think), Johnboy (very coherent and rational statements), um, the dude with the stud ring in his lip wearing the suit - though i wished some people had though pre-prepared their statements instead of firing from the hip.

 

[hazchem]

hahaha I was thinking that, he really didnt help cause

 

[gher]

Top stuff everyone!

Every time that guy in the suit in front of Nick spoke, I just giggled. oooOOOooooo I'm weak minded, I take druuuuuugggssss.

Oh and my grandma walked in as I was watching. I don't think she was listening, she just said 'don't let that happen to you' when the ecstasy ad came on.

 

[its_all_goog]

Congrats johnboy et al for representing all of enlighten's supporters so well.
Just finished watching the show, and while I'm still undecided as to how beneficial the whole program was, I thought that there were a number of people whose articulateness will greatly help the harm minimisation cause.

On the flip side, what was with that fucking tool in the suit in the front row of johnboy's section? "you people"....what the hell is that? Everything he said was not only ill-informed, but it came across as totally juvenile and in no way backed up by any form of evidence. also, i think there are some serious misconceptions from some people about what "harm minimisation" actually is. What was with the guy who apologised for forsaking us all with harm minimisation?

I was also a little disappointed by the amount of focus that was placed on the girls in the front row. Sorry if either of them are a part of this forum, but I thought spending so much time on their anecdotal tales about "what all our friends do" somewhat trivialised the more solid arguments being put forward by others.

Anyhow, overall any vigorous discussion has got to be a good thing. Big up to SBS for tackling the issue and doing a pretty good job of it as well. I also thought it was pretty cool how the last comment on the program was a really excellent one by that guy who put a really good anti-prohibition case forward.
Great work- i wish i had the balls to be a part of it. I guess I'll just stick to my letters to the editor for now!