MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 12 May 2004

Night clubbers Soft Targets for Police Sniffer Dogs

Peak drug and alcohol and youth groups have slammed a new Victoria Police measure that will see sniffer dogs used to detect drugs on young people in nightclubs as victimisation of soft targets.

‘The use of sniffer dogs to detect drugs on young people in nightclubs will have the effect of increasing harmful drug use amongst young people. Young people may be a soft target for Police but if the result is more overdoses and unsafe use of drugs, what can they hope to gain from targeting young people in this way?’ according to the Executive Officer of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA), Ms Carol Bennett.

Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) Executive Officer, Georgie Ferrari, said ‘Victoria Police have gone too far. If we really want to reduce the harm that drugs cause to our young people, why would we seek to scare young people into using all their drugs in one hit before they leave for a night out so that they can avoid police patrols?’

The sniffer dog program was announced yesterday by the Victorian government. The measure aims to target small time drug dealers and people carrying smaller quantities of drugs for personal use at nightclubs.

‘This is not about getting tough on drugs. This about getting tough on young people by stealth. We shouldn’t forget that drug taking goes on in all sectors of our community and in all walks of life.’ Ms Bennett said.

‘Its about time we got serious about the harm caused by drugs – if this measure were serious it would be more comprehensive and include treatment for problematic drug use and information for young people about drugs ’ Ms Ferrari said.

Contact:

Georgie Ferrari, YACVic EO, 0411 484 42
Carol Bennett, VAADA EO, 0417 043 547