Sometimes an idea comes along that stops you in your tracks.
This was one of those ideas.
It was pitched last Thursday by a lobby group with significant influence in Victorian politics as a silver bullet to dramatically overhaul the way we look at and treat illicit drugs and those who use them.
The details are here, but put in the simplest terms, it suggested drug users should be free to carry and use illicit drugs without fear of prosecution.
Everything from ice and heroin to cocaine, fentanyl and other synthetic opiods — drugs that can lull users into a zombie-like trance typically seen in some of the United States’ worst-hit areas.
There is some important context to include here.
First, Victoria is in the grip of a drug crisis where record levels of consumption have resulted in decade-high overdose numbers, according to the Coroners Court of Victoria.
Second, the idea comes from the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association — a group that puts the health of individuals using drugs above concerns about crime or impacts on broader society.
Victoria is a progressive place. But an illicit drug free-for-all seems to be where most Victorians draw their moral line in the sand.
When I wrote about VAADA’s election statement — a pitch for more than $120 million of funding per year to, in part, descriminalise illicit drugs by 2030, the response was overwhelming.
On a Facebook post linking to the story, there was 2600 comments. On the story itself there were 309 more. But the unequivocal proof of public sentiment came from a poll of news.com.au readers.
As of Monday afternoon, 8560 people had voted on a simple multiple choice question: Should Victoria decriminalise illicit drugs for personal use?
The result was 91 per cent “No”, 9 per cent “Yes”.
Below is a snapshot of some of that feedback.
– “Every left policy these days is about pretending failure is a success.”
– “There is nothing ‘therapeutic’ about letting people destroy themselves, their families and their own communities like this.”
– “Deciminalising drugs isn’t the way to go, education is.”
– “Decriminalising possession just encourages and normalises supply.”
– “Melbourne becoming its own mini San Francisco, cute.”
– “Melbourne will soon look like downtown Portland, Oregon. Interesting how they both have socialist ‘progressive’ governments. You get what you voted for.”
The Victorian Government, to its credit, was having none of the idea. In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesperson said there are currently “no plans to decriminalise drug use or possession” and that Labor is “backing evidence-based approaches that save lives”.
VAADA is doing its job, lobbying state and federal governments for policy changes and funding and shaping drug policies.
And it has been hugely successful in doing that — VAADA played a major role in shaping Victoria’s 10-year Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy (2025-2035).
But the pitch to decriminalise drugs has failed in almost every other major global city.
Portland is a good example. It decriminalised drugs in 2021 and was later described as a “dystopian nightmare” that included 13 bodies found in a single location after a mass overdose.
In January, 2024, the policy was scrapped completely, a state of emergency was declared and authorities were forced to admit to a monumental failure.
The same story played out in Vancouver, the major seaport city in Canada’s west, which decriminalised drugs in 2023 on a pilot program.
In 2024, the impact was already being felt.
Destination Vancouver CEO Royce Schwinn, speaking at a conference, shared comments from tourists to the region.
“Street upon street of homeless people who were clearly under the influence,” one person said.
“Really glad to leave this place and will not be going back,” said another.
“It is living off its past reputation. Save your money,” another said.
In January this year, the program was dumped.
Portugal’s capital Lisbon was celebrated as a success story in decriminalising drugs, but that too has followed a similar path to Portland and Vancouver.
Researchers from UNSW noted that drug use in Lisbon had become far more frequent in public and drug overdoses had doubled between 2019 and 2023.
Speaking to 3AW’s Tom Elliot last week, VAADA’s CEO Chris Christoforou said the status quo had not worked.
“The criminalisation of drugs is a massive policy failure,” he said, before suggesting drug users did not seek help because they were ashamed.
“We have people that are punished for a health issue that clog up our courts, the work of police and because of the shame and stigma they’re reluctant to seek help early and things end up in crisis.”
Elliot slammed the proposal.
“San Francisco, Vancouver, Portland all did that and it got seriously worse,” he said.
“There are no-go areas with zombie-like people all day and they’re winding back because the experience has been so awful.
“I spoke with the mayor of Portland who said ‘Do not go down this path’.”
It does not appear that Victoria will decriminalise illicit drugs any time soon.
The feedback, at least to this author, suggests it would be a political grenade.
VAADA knows that. But it doesn’t care about politics.
Its role is to reduce alcohol and drug harms. Mr Christoforou says drug users should be shepherded towards help, not the courts.
Even if the fallout from doing that makes Victoria just that little bit less liveable for the rest of us.
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