Drug Harm Reduction
“Just Say No” has never worked, and never will.
Drug use occurs in all parts of our community. It affects people of all ages and backgrounds.
We need a health-led approach to drug use in the community that works to reduce the social, legal and economic harms facing people who use drugs.
We want to support people to make safer choices, both for themselves and the wider community.
The Greens will ensure health supports and services are available to people who use drugs while reducing stigma.
Explore our plan for Drug Harm Reduction
- Legalise cannabis
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Prohibition of cannabis has failed Victorians. People are worse off, while organised crime flourishes.
The Greens propose a legally regulated, taxed, and quality-controlled industry for cannabis that will improve consumer safety, undercut organised crime and focus on harm reduction.
With our plan, you’ll be able to buy regulated cannabis from licensed dispensaries and cannabis cafes or even grow up to six plants at home. We will prioritise public health, provide people targeted support through new government revenue, and end the criminalisation of people who use cannabis.
- Expand pill testing
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The Greens, the experts and the wider community campaigned for years to successfully secure legal pill testing in Victoria at music festivals and through a permanent fixed site in Fitzroy.
Pill testing has saved lives of many young people and has provided targeted health information to many people who’ve never sought support before.
The Greens want to see pill testing expanded, to protect more people from preventable drug overdose across the state.
- Save lives with overdose prevention services
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The best way to keep people healthy and safe around drugs is to give them access to quality information and services when and where they need it.
The Greens want to see access to medically supervised injecting services expanded, as well as more access to lifesaving naloxone vending machines, hydromorphone and other pharmacotherapies.
- Ban the use of sniffer dogs for drug detection
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We want festivals to be a safe, fun and supportive environment for the diverse range of people.
The use of drug detection sniffer dogs is out of step, unsafe and does nothing to protect people from drug-related harm.
- A health response to drug use in the community
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People should not be pushed into the criminal justice system for minor drug use and possession.
The Greens want to see people who use drugs get the health support they need, to be treated with the respect they deserve, and be provided with pathways for rehabilitation and care.
Drug use in our community needs a health response, not a crime-based response. Decriminalising personal use and possession in small quantities means people get the support they need without fear or stigma.