Jeff Kennett: Drug policies must be enforced or they’re worthless
There must be consequences when a person acts against a law or policy, so if the state and the AFL are not going to be serious about illicit drug use rules, then get rid of them.
Opinion
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While the AFL’s illicit drug policy is complicit in avoidance, the state government’s voluntary pills testing regimen says that while we absolutely ban illicit drugs, if you choose to do so we will facilitate you doing so safely.
To be clear my understanding of the current Victorian law is: “It is against the law to use, possess, cultivate or traffic a drug of dependence, including marijuana, heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, LSD and ecstasy”.
So why does the AFL encourage and promote avoidance of its own policy? Why does the state government now facilitate the use of illegal drugs?
If the state and the AFL are not going to be serious about their laws and policies, get rid of them.
If one is serious about illicit drug use, and has laws and policies in place, then there must be consequences when a person acts against the law or policy.
The AFL’s response to the report by Sport Integrity Australia that it vindicated the AFL’s illicit drug policy, was disingenuous and another example of the AFL protecting its own reputation and those who work within the league.
The practice of the existing policy aids and abets avoidance, so is no policy at all.
The report did say the AFL illicit drug policy was 20 years old and did require reviewing, which the AFL is supposedly doing.
That said, if after the review the AFL still allows those caught using illicit drugs to avoid penalty and disclosure they may as well have no policy at all.
Many workforces have an effective illicit drug policy and with clear consequences – so too must the AFL.
As I do not believe in retrospectivity, the new policy should be effective for those who voluntarily join the AFL as an administrative, coaching or playing member.
The illicit drug policy and any other such policies the AFL wish to highlight, should be part of any agreement or contract new employee signs.
With the exception for those within the AFL system now the option of self-reporting the use of illicit drugs should no longer be operable.
The penalties for breaches of the new illicit drug policy should be clear and not subject to alteration.
If the AFL policy were to continue with the three stage process, the third stage, that is where a person is found in breach of the policy for a third time, they should be banned forthwith from AFL employment, and forfeit any remaining benefits that might remain unearnt under the employment contract of the individual.
Tough maybe, but remember people are not forced to join the AFL in any capacity whatsoever.
Under a new policy without the option of opting out, consequences can all co-exist with education, medical and psychological assistance.
In the meantime, remember the AFL’s priority of any policy must be the welfare of their employees, not brand protection.
Talk about embarrassing!
Meanwhile, the recent announcement by the state government to introduce pill testing at 10 festivals this summer, plus a fixed site yet to be determined, equally sends out the wrong message about the use of illicit drugs.
They say it will cost $4m. Apart from the wrong message it conveys, it’s totally at odds with Victoria’s laws. Would you rather have that $4m keeping open one two or three hospital beds for a year they are now thinking of closing, or keeping a few more nurses employed? Or perhaps contributed to drug rehabilitation rather than facilitation?
And who is going to man these testing sites? Drag nurses from our hospital system, our already overworked police workforce, or some of our highly paid “Stop Go” employees?
Or given the government’s close relationship with the CFMEU, maybe its members?
The pills tested are known to be illicit, the testing is to find the chemical content and strength of the drug. Yes, for the person to be informed, but absolutely non-punitive and without consequence.
The government can’t have it both ways, a law that prohibits, and an action that has no consequences.
It is simply not the role of the government to be testing the pills that individuals wish to take.
It is the person, who against all the current advice choses to take a pill or a drug, who must accept responsibility for their own decision.
And why should the taxpayer foot the bill? If festival goers can afford expensive mind-altering substances, then they should pay for their own safety net. No one is underwriting my indulgence in good whisky!
At least the AFL can develop an enforceable illicit drug policy. The state government should decide whether to uphold their laws, or get rid of them, rather than undermining them.
Have a good day.
Jeff Kennett is a former Premier of Victoria
Originally published as Jeff Kennett: Drug policies must be enforced or they’re worthless
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