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Wednesday 15 May, 2013

Should We Decriminalise Soft Drugs? TV3 Invites Kiwis to Have Their Say on May 22 with ‘the Vote’

This month, The Vote asks whether ‘soft drugs’ – cannabis and synthetic cannabis – should be decriminalised in New Zealand.

Two teams led by Duncan Garner and Guyon Espiner will argue the moot ‘Let’s decriminalise soft drugs’ in TV3’s national debate programme, screening at 8.30pm next Wednesday night. Broadcaster and lawyer, Linda Clark is again referee, charged with keeping the debaters in line and on topic.

Drug use has become a hot topic in recent weeks as communities from Timaru to Manurewa have picketed sellers of legal highs, synthetic products have been banned by government and select committee hearings into a new drugs law have been taking place.

Police and medical experts have warned in recent days that the harm caused by synthetics is demanding more and more of their attention. But around the world the trend is towards more liberal drug laws, treating drugs as a health issue rather than a criminal one. This month Colorado and Vermont have become the latest US states to liberalise.

So which way should New Zealand go?

Guyon Espiner will argue FOR the moot. He says: “New Zealand needs to get real about cannabis and synthetic cannabis. Prohibition hasn't worked. We've got one of the highest rates of use in the world.

“We're saying New Zealand should follow the lead of states in the USA and Australia. In those countries possessing small amounts of these soft drugs is not a criminal offence. Instead they try to minimise harm with health and education messages.

“Decriminalisation would take revenue away from gangs and give police more time to focus on serious crime.”

Duncan Garner’s opposition to the availability of synthetic cannabis is well known. He will argue AGAINST the moot, and says: “Now is not the time to liberalise drug laws. No way. The dairies are the new drug dealers. Our kids cross the road from school and can now buy drugs in dairies. And as for the real ‘electric puha’ - cannabis is hardly going to make our kids smarter. Sending a woolly soft liberal message now to our kids and our communities that it’s ‘okay’ to do drugs is madness.”

“We’ve already got a shotgun loaded with booze; do we really want to have a double barrelled shotgun loaded with weed and synthetic highs as well? Trust me – I smoked this stuff before doing my Radio LIVE Drive show, to show the impacts and I urge responsible, smart Kiwis to send a message to the lawmakers, that it’s not OK.”

Joining Duncan and Guyon next week are four panellists:

FOR – Led by Guyon Espiner
• Ross Bell is Executive Director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, a board member of the International Drug Policy Consortium and has previously worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Grant A Hall is the General Manager of The Star Trust, which represents the 'legal highs' industry in New Zealand and funds research into psychoactives as medicine. He has been a passionate advocate for drug policy reform for many years and is also on the Executive Committee of the NZ Juice and Beverage Association.
• Dr Jeremy McMinn is a Consultant Psychiatrist Addiction Specialist and a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Alcohol & Drug Disorders for the University of Otago (in Wellington). He is New Zealand Branch Chair of the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine and Co-Chair of the National Association of Opioid Treatment Providers.

AGAINST – Led by Duncan Garner
• Janie Annear is Mayor of Timaru and a successful company director and businesswoman. With the support of her community, she has been actively involved in trying to limit the sale of legal highs in the Timaru District calling dairy owners selling synthetic cannabis, calling them “drug dealers of the community”
• Mike Sabin is the MP for Northland, founder of MethCon Group, and one of the country’s foremost authorities on matters related to methamphetamine and drug policy. A former police detective, with a specialist focus on drug enforcement, Mike is one of two representatives for Oceania on the World Federation Against Drugs.
• Fa'amatuainu Wayne Poutoa is a Porirua City Councillor and the Founder/Manager of the Streets Ahead 237 Trust, an organisation that works with youth at risk and their families. A former Mongrel Mob member, Wayne’s community work has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Vodafone World of Difference Award and the Kiwibank Local Heroes Medal.

The Vote is competitive current affairs – a monthly series of entertaining and informative national debates on the big issues facing New Zealanders. The debates take place in theatres with audience participation and voting, but the opinion that matters most is that of the audience watching at home.

Viewers are encouraged to vote for free at www.TheVote.co.nz, via Twitter @TheVoteNZ and Facebook at The Vote NZ. Viewers can also text their vote by texting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to 3920 at a cost of 20 cents per text.

The Vote is produced by TV3’s News and Current Affairs division with funding from NZ On Air, and screens once every four weeks in the same timeslot as 3rd Degree.

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