VPN - New Drug Caution Programs

New Drug Caution Programs

The Premier, Mr Kennett, and the Chief Police Commissioner, Mr Comrie, have announced a new program allowing police to caution low level cannabis users, rather than automatically charging them.

The Cannabis Cautioning Program has been successfully trialed over 6 months in Police District I (Broadmeadows area) and will now be applied to the whole state.

Of the 97 cautions issued in I District, only 8 were found to have re-offended.

The cautions apply to those in possession of less than 50 grams of drugs for personal use only and include caution notices providing information on the health and legal ramifications of drug use and a 24-hour confidential drug information line.

A second program - the Drug Diversion Pilot Program - is to also be trialed and will involve a similar approach to offenders caught with illicit drugs other than cannabis. More stringent conditions apply in the issuing of cautions for hard drugs, including the offender being required to report for an assessment and appropriate treatment at a drug treatment service before a caution notice would be issued. Under existing guidelines, many first-time offenders are charged on summons and end up on 12-month good behaviour bonds, without being compelled to learn of the health and legal consequences of drug use, nor to receive treatment.

Cautions are conditional upon the offender having no criminal record of drug offences, admission to the offence and consent to being cautioned. A maximum of two cautions will be issued.

(News Release, Premier, July 6, 1998)