Issue of Drugs

The drugs issue is a major problem in Australia. A simple solution cannot be found to solve this great problem because there are so many decisions, thoughts and sacrifices that need to be made. All sides of the issue must be considered when making such a large decision. To find a solution, several tests, meetings, interviews and research need to be made, to name a few. Extreme care is needed when challenging such major issues, all aspects of the problem need to be considered.

Zajdow describes drug abuse as being a social, legal, health, economic and ethical issue (1999, p.44). This great problem therefore involves not only one department, but also many other departments. These include the police, who offer their power and resources, Justice, who has the resources for jail, Health, which offers treatment programs, and Education which provides drug education to the community. Without these departments, the issue would be too complicated for the Government to solve on their own. However, as indicated by Knowles, these departments were bidding for more funds to strengthen the resources they provide (2000, p.1).

The drugs issue as a social concern:

There are an estimated 25,000 heroin users in Victoria (Hodder, p.10). This is a very large amount of people on drugs, in the last 10 years it has been shown to increase and therefore the drug issue is becoming a major problem to all the people in Victoria.

Some people argue that the drug users aren’t the heroin victims. One writer notes, 'The parents of the user who steals from them, abuses them, physically, emotionally and mentally, the siblings who suffer the loss of care and love but who also get abused and used by the user, the kids of the user who learn that the parent's desire for smack is greater than the desire to be a parent,' are the real heroin victims (Fitzgerald, 2000). This problem therefore effects not only the user but