Liberal MLA Jeremy Hanson will move an Assembly motion on Tuesday calling on the ACT government to reverse the “dangerous” decriminalisation of hard drugs.

“This decision to decriminalise hard drugs like meth, heroin and cocaine has been a legal, social and policy failure on every measure,” said the shadow attorney-general.

He said that as a result of hard drugs being decriminalised in October 2023:

• Cocaine use was up 70 per cent, heroin by 30 per cent and meth by 40 per cent.

• Drug driving is up by 20 per cent.

• Drug-related presentations at emergency departments up 13 per cent in the past year.

• The highest rate of drug overdoses in the country for a capital city.

• Deal and supply drug offences reported falling by half, from 85 in 2020-21 to 36 in 2024-25.

“Every measure of drug use and drug harm has gone up since these laws were changed,” he said.

“The situation we face is staggering and heartbreaking. We are seeing more drugs, more overdoses, more deaths, more drug-driving charges, more disorder, more drug ED presentations, while drug dealers are being reported less after these changes.

“This is not harm minimisation. This is a dangerous experiment that has failed. We should stop before even more harm is done to our community.”

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