After all the progressive and positive conversations that occurred at the Parliamentary Drug Summit earlier this week, some really dumb stuff was said in reply. Bound to happen we suppose, but still – blegh.
On Tuesday, NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant said that anyone who publicly conducted pill-testing could be charged with drug offences such as possession, as well as manslaughter.
This was in response to Dr Alex Wodak, who said during the summit that he would set up public pill-testing at festivals, regardless of whether the Baird government agreed with it or not.
“I am prepared to break the law to save young people’s lives.”
But now, former NSW chief prosecutor Nicholas Cowdery QC has said that Grant’s claims of these doctors being charged with manslaughter are pretty bloody unlikely, calling the Deputy Premier’s claims ‘non-sensical’ and ‘scaremongering’.
“It’s a matter of proper preparation; it’s a matter of giving proper advice and notice to the person who brings the drugs along.”In order to be guilty of manslaughter in circumstances like that, the chemist or the person would have to have some involvement in the actual administration of the drug at least to the person who took it and who subsequently died.So as a matter of law and as a matter of practicalities I think it’s just probably a bit of scare mongering on the deputy premiers part.”
The former chief prosecutor also said that the current regime wasn’t working, and that controlled testing facilities were needed.
Feel that? It’s the beautiful, uncommon breeze of basic fkn logic floating past us.
Source: ABC.
Photo: Twitter.
