Harm Reduction in Full Flight:

A composite snapshot of interviews done by Tyler Oliveira on the impact of North American Harm Reduction Policies

(A commentary)

The issues of children and young people who use drugs, parental drug use, and children’s involvement in the drug trade are many and extremely complex. No one paper can do justice to these complexities. But our analysis of article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) may be summarised with the following broad conclusions:

There Are Two Substantive Protections in Article 33

1. Appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties. This involves not just one level of protection (i.e. primary prevention) but four:

• Reduction of initiation
• Protection of children currently using drugs (recreationally, problematically etc.)
• Protection from drug use in the family (especially parental drug use)
• Protection from drug use in the community

2. Appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties.

‘Appropriateness’ frames both substantive protections and itself may be broken down into a series of five broad principles.

Appropriate measures must be:

• Read alongside the remaining articles of the CRC (in particular the General Principles)
• Read in the light of other provisions of international law which provide greater protection
• Address patterns of vulnerability including a gender perspective
• Evidence-based (i.e. not arbitrary)
• Proportionate

The ‘relevant international treaties’ play what may be called a ‘subjective’ role (describing the substances captured by the article), rather than a normative one (determining what measures are ‘appropriate’  for the purposes of article 33).

‘Relevant international treaties’, as they apply to children, must be read alongside the CRC. The relationship between the CRC and ‘other relevant treaties’ indicates that the CRC is open in terms of the larger policy paradigm adopted to ‘protect’ children or define ‘illicit’ use, production and trafficking.

200. Since the CRC was drafted we know much more about risk factors for drug use, dependence and drug related harms. We know more about what is effective and ineffective in terms of prevention, treatment and harm reduction, and which groups of children are more at risk and why. We know more about children’s involvement in the drug trade and the myriad factors contributing to this phenomenon. And we know much more about child rights-based approaches to multiple social issues. Still, not enough attention has been paid to articulating a child rights-based approach to drug policies and to the many issues children face in relation to drugs and the drug trade. This is true of the CRC Committee, governments and civil society organisations.

It is time now to take child rights more seriously in drug control, and drug control more seriously in child rights.

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Our children must be able to grow up nourished and supported in loving and caring environments. They must have time to be children with all the wonder, happiness and innocence that childhood should bring.

Over recent years the reported levels of child neglect and abuse in Australia have increased at an alarming rate. Child abuse and neglect has become an issue of national concern. Meanwhile, statutory child protection systems are struggling under the load.

Protecting children is everyone’s responsibility. Parents, communities, governments and business all have a role to play. Australia needs a shared agenda for change, with national leadership and a common goal. All Australian governments have endorsed the first National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 and are committed to implementing the initial actions it contains. It is a long-term, national approach to help protect all Australian children.

The National Framework represents an unprecedented level of collaboration between Australian, State and Territory governments and non-government organisations to protect children. Placing children’s interests firmly at the centre of everything we do.

Reducing child abuse and neglect is not an easy task and it will take time. The National Framework provides the foundation for national reform.

(Substance use and its promotion has no place in a society seeking this best practice outcome – D.I)

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Addiction science has undergone tremendous progress over the past five decades, transforming our understanding of drugs and their impact on the brain and society. Recent advancements offer hope in addressing the escalating challenges of drug use, addiction, and overdose. However, the need for evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies remains crucial in combating this ongoing public health crisis.

Prioritising Drug Prevention: Prevention is one of the most effective ways to combat substance use disorders. Research consistently highlights how drug exposure can interfere with brain development from prenatal stages to young adulthood, setting the stage for lifelong challenges. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable, as early drug experimentation sharply increases the risk of addiction later in life.

Adverse childhood experiences—ranging from poverty to trauma—also contribute to substance use risks by disrupting brain development. Preventative measures can mitigate these risks and promote resilience. For example, school-based programmes and community initiatives have demonstrated significant success in reducing drug use among young people. Importantly, these interventions offer long-term benefits, improving mental health and reducing dependency rates across generations.

Scaling up these preventative approaches is vital. By investing in evidence-based prevention at schools, healthcare facilities, and community centres, society can safeguard future generations from the devastating impacts of drugs.

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Abstract: This brief paper is a synoptic review of key implications of the pro-drug lobby’s decriminalisation reform endeavours. Specifically it looks at: what constitutes ‘normalisation’; what it affirms; and some of the debilitating consequences of the strategy of ‘normalisation’ of drug use. It also questions the legitimacy of this position in the light of the irrefutable evidence of the health and community harms of illicit drug use, causing damage to the health and wellbeing of both individuals and of society.

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