City of Sydney Council supports pill-testing demo and drug summit in Sydney
City of Sydney Council has championed a pill testing trial in Sydney and an “urgent” drug summit after Mayor Clover Moore called for a more effective approach to the war on drugs.
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City of Sydney Council has championed a pill testing trial in Sydney and an “urgent” drug summit after Mayor Clover Moore called for a more effective approach to the war on drugs.
Overwhelming support for the plan to introduce a “practical and compassionate” drug summit was unanimously supported by councillors last night.
Cr Moore also won support from councillors for medical professionals to use a council building to provide drug testing demonstrations.
“A new drug summit is urgent,” Cr Moore said last night.
“It must bring together members of parliament, relevant government agencies and experts, community representatives and people affected by drug use.”
The call for pill testing and a drug summit to be held in Sydney comes after several young people died after taking illicit drugs at music festivals across the country.
An outpouring of support was also seen at a pill testing rally held at Sydney’s Town Hall in January.
Cr Moore, who took part in the last drug summit — which ran for five days at Parliament House in 1999 — said she saw the views of politicians change, “as they heard compelling evidence and engaged in serious discussion about issues that were confronting for many of them”.
“While a trial of a medically-supervised injecting room was the Summit’s most high profile
outcome, it achieved much more,” she said.
“The Summit made 172 recommendations relating to young people and drugs, treatment services, drug education, law enforcement, breaking the drugs and crime cycle and community action.”
Councillor Kerryn Phelps, who also attended the summit 20 years ago, said it was time for another drug summit.
“The people who are worried about what is happening inside that (drug testing) tent can actually go along and see what the process involves,” Cr Phelps said.
“I think that will take a lot of the uncertainty about it — pill testing has the support of the medical profession including the Australian Medical Association.”
While councillor Jess Scully said the summit would “demystify the process”.
“The only thing we can do is … bring this out into the light of day, where people can have conversations with professionals,” she said.
“As community leaders it’s our job to reduce harm and we can do that by reducing risk.
“I think its absolutely appropriate that City of Sydney supports this.
“If we have the facts people will know what they have in their hands and they can make an informed choice about whether to take those drugs — we can’t keep burying our heads in the sand.
“Whether or not you are directly affected by drugs, we all are part of a community that are affected in some way.”
Councillors supported the Lord Mayor’s call to provide medical professionals access to council facilities to provide a drug testing demonstration.
She also called for a national summit to be held in the future, following a Sydney-based program.
Ted Noffs Foundation chief executive Matt Noffs attended last night’s council meeting to show support for the campaign.
The Noffs Foundation works alongside young, drug affected people to support them through treatment programs and recovery.
Mr Noffs said Monday night’s council meeting was a historic moment and believes Sydney’s drug summit will “set off a chain of events that helps the rest of the world pioneer in the same direction,” he said.
“The last drug summit was really important, not only for Sydney, not only for NSW, and not only for the country,” he said.
“If it follows the model from the last drug summit, it absolutely will shake everything up.
“When we think about why a drug summit is important, it’s not just about getting everyone to come together, it’s about an opportunity to pioneer.
“It’s an opportunity to hear not only from experts like myself, it’s an opportunity to listen to parents, to drug users.
“Its time for us to come together and look at pill testing but also other pioneering harm reduction that can help us lead the world.”