A year ago today, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to no longer treat personal drug possession as a crime. There was concern there would be an increase in crime, and that people from interstate would flock to the capital to use drugs. One year on, how have the laws gone?
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00:00Thursday night is uni night in Canberra, cheaper drinks and no entry fees entice people into
00:08the city.
00:09It's also the first night of the week for the night crew team.
00:13For more than seven years, St John Ambulance volunteers have been patrolling the city streets.
00:18Their aim?
00:19To keep people safe on a night out.
00:21But a year ago, a change in the ACT's drug laws prompted some concern that nights would
00:27get much busier.
00:28We're being warned the relaxed laws will see people from other parts of the country travel
00:32to our nation's capital for drug-fuelled parties.
00:34It's going to become a drug-addled, druggy central.
00:37Who would have thought that Canberra could become the party capital?
00:41It will end in addiction and heartache, and for some, even in death.
00:47Twelve months on from the ACT becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to decriminalise
00:52small amounts of illicit drugs, these volunteers haven't seen any difference.
00:57I haven't seen an increase or decrease in behaviour.
01:02Among those initially opposed to the laws were police.
01:08They were concerned the change could spur first-time drug use and see an increase in
01:13crime.
01:14Certainly we haven't seen a significant change in behaviour at all.
01:19But they're keen to reinforce that the laws didn't change the fact drugs are illegal.
01:24It's obviously a health-focused response which we absolutely support, but we've still
01:29continued to undertake our other policing activity absolutely with a zero-tolerance
01:33approach.
01:34Rather than facing a criminal charge, people caught with small amounts of drugs such as
01:38ice, heroin and cocaine are now issued a $100 fine, or referred to a one-hour drug education
01:46and health assessment.
01:48Since the laws came in, 237 people have opted for the assessment, while 13 people have been
01:55fined.
01:56Since decriminalisation, there's been a 50% jump in the number of samples tested by the
02:01city's drug-checking service, CanTest.
02:04We haven't noticed any increase in drug use, and I don't think that's been apparent anywhere.
02:10But I think people are more comfortable coming forward and seeking help.
02:15And that's more important than ever, with dangerous substances like fentanyl and nitrazines
02:20in illicit drugs found for the first time in Canberra.
02:2420 people have died from suspected drug overdoses in the territory this year, but experts say
02:30there's no correlation with decriminalisation.
02:33Research out of Oregon and Washington has shown that decriminalisation doesn't affect
02:38fatal drug overdoses one way or the other.
02:41While it appears the laws haven't substantially changed life in the capital, they will be
02:45independently reviewed next year.