NCJ Number
191093
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 17-22
Date Published
June 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article explores the central role of local communities in the current Victorian illicit drugs policy debate.
Abstract
Local Australian governments and communities have sought involvement in the planning and implementation of illicit drug programs for many years. Many local communities, particularly those affected by heavy street drug use, have progressively increased their involvement in drug policy debates. They have been driven by practical and pressing concerns around the increased visibility of public injecting and drug trafficking, the role of public facilities including toilets, syringe disposal, and the increased level of heroin overdose. Two factors appear to have brought local governments and communities to the center of illicit drug policy. First was the restructuring of local government, which greatly enhanced the potential resources and power of the newly amalgamated local councils. Second was the evidence from injecting facilities operating in Europe that local community support was central to their success. Social inclusion is one of the key principles of community development. Another relevant community development principle is that of participation. Nimbyists, a majority of local residents seeking to either deny the existence of a social problem or divert it elsewhere, may favor zero tolerance solutions that contrast with those of harm minimization. Utilizing the community development principle of participation, they demand the right to be more actively involved in the development of local drug policies and strategies. 35 references