NEWS: The Advertiser - 10/01/2006 'CRACKDOWN ON ECSTASY'

[hoptis]

Related: Vic Supreme Court to consider ecstasy sentences

CRACKDOWN ON ECSTASY
By JEMMA CHAPMAN
10 Jan 2006

PEOPLE who traffic and manufacture ecstasy will face the same jail sentences as those who trade in heroin, under a proposal supported by the state's key legal officials.

Attorney-General Michael Atkinson and Opposition legal affairs spokesman Robert Lawson have backed the move by the Director of Public Prosecutions to reclassify ecstasy as a high-level drug.

The call comes as new South Australian police statistics show children as young as 10 are being treated for drug abuse.

Of all South Australians caught with drugs and referred to police treatment and education programs, more than half are juveniles, according to the unaudited police data.

Describing the use of amphetamines as an epidemic, Mr Atkinson said it would be "quite sensible" to reclassify ecstasy and other amphetamines from middle-of-the-range to the status of more serious drugs such as heroin.

The court system regards heroin as a high-level drug, ecstasy and other amphetamines as mid level and cannabis as low level.

Mr Atkinson said he would raise the matter with Cabinet colleagues and would consider introducing legislation after the March election to reclassify ecstasy and other amphetamines.

"It would enable higher average sentences for trafficking or manufacturing of amphetamines," Mr Atkinson said.

"I just think we have an epidemic of amphetamine use and it has, socially, the most harmful effect of the range of drugs."

His comments follow a request to the District Court from the Director of Public Prosecutions to reclassify ecstasy.

Mr Lawson agreed that "unless the courts clarify this matter promptly, Parliament will have to act". "If this hasn't happened by the time of the election we would introduce legislation to reclassify amphetamines," he said.

Mr Lawson said evidence showed ecstasy had long-term effects on brain functioning as well as serious mental health consequences.

Victim Support Service chief Michael Dawson said bringing ecstasy and other amphetamines in line with heroin was "at least worthy of consideration" because it "may well be a deterrent".

THE NEW PENALTIES

Maximum penalties for drug offences:

• Trafficking in large commercial quantity: $500,000 fine or life imprisonment or both.
• Trafficking in commercial quantity: $200,000 fine or 25 years' jail or both.
• Trafficking: $50,000 fine or 10 years' jail or both.
• Manufacture of large commercial quantity: $500,000 fine or life imprisonment or both.
• Manufacture of commercial quantity for sale: $200,000 or 25 years or both.
• Manufacture for sale: $50,000 or 10 years or both.

The courts have adopted a hierarchy of drugs for sentencing purposes. Crimes involving high-level drugs generally attract the harshest penalties.

From The Advertiser

 

[theGreatUnknown]

i would hardly say it has the same harmful social effect that heroin does?

 

[ayjay]

The issue is really about using punitive measures to manage use of certain substances. It is impossible to definitively say whether meth and/or MDMA are more/less/equally harmful as heroin - the harms depend on the context of use, as well as the drug used.

It's a shame that SA, with a previously good track record for managing substance use (cannabis in particular), may go down this road. The suggestion that heavier penalties "may well be a deterrent" is naive at best, or (more probably) disingenuous vote buying

 

[static_mind]

This guy is worse then Pyne. Go get em Jonnyboy, Debate him on hack!.

 

[Yossarian_is_sane]

Does anyone know if this could affect the amicus curiae legal submission johnboy and enlighten are putting together? or could that be used as arguement against this propsed change?

 

[mike0]

i dare say the legal submission theya r eputting togetehr will be presented at the same time as this - and it will be a waste of time for them :/

 

[BongoBongo]

Let's just hope that the Submission is not acted upon and that there is no political point scoring here.

 

[Ewok]

The end of the 'great Melbourne ecstacy wave'?

By the attitudes of the masses and the culture surrounding it I'm going to guess it's not.

 

[marklar_the_23rd]

well if i was a dealer i'd switch professions to hitman or mass robbery - far less time in jail.

what a fucked up world.

 

[Portillo]

I like how every article is like "now we will crack down" its always about police NOW cracking down. And then nothing changes, and theres still availability.