Speaking to the Guardian, the operator of the site, who gave his name as Daniel, called out the ads for their patronising tone and archaic scare tactics.“Like many people who smoke, I have had sloth moments,” he said. “You can, as it is said, ‘overmedicate’ and feel couch-locked, not wanting to do anything – but I know people who get that without smoking too.”
Seemingly the lone voice of reason in parliament on this issue, Faruqi said that as long the NSW government refuses “to take an adult approach to drugs or drug use that didn’t infantilise people or talk down to them”, this campaign and others like it would be “doomed to fail”.
“We are in dire need of an informed and evidence-based drugs debate in this country,” she said.
Meanwhile, the NSW State Governement shows no sign of letting up on its hard line drug policing efforts. Having tripled the rate of drug arrests after targeting users instead of suppliers, as well as resisting efforts to support pill testing at festivals (Deputy Premier Troy Grant even likening such a program to state sponsored quality control for drug dealers), Baird and his government have made it clear they will not budge on drug policy, regardless of what research or information comes to light.
On a light note for those Australians looking to come fully into the 21st century sometime before it’s over, NSW has recently announced it will be one of three states that will begin trials on the use of medical cannabis for pain relief.
