00:00Thursday night is uni night in Canberra, cheaper drinks and no entry fees entice people into
00:08the city.
00:09It's also the first night of the week for the night crew team.
00:13For more than seven years, St John Ambulance volunteers have been patrolling the city streets.
00:18Their aim?
00:19To keep people safe on a night out.
00:21But a year ago, a change in the ACT's drug laws prompted some concern that nights would
00:27get much busier.
00:28We're being warned the relaxed laws will see people from other parts of the country travel
00:32to our nation's capital for drug-fuelled parties.
00:34It's going to become a drug-addled, druggy central.
00:37Who would have thought that Canberra could become the party capital?
00:41It will end in addiction and heartache, and for some, even in death.
00:47Twelve months on from the ACT becoming the first jurisdiction in the country to decriminalise
00:52small amounts of illicit drugs, these volunteers haven't seen any difference.
00:57I haven't seen an increase or decrease in behaviour.
01:02Among those initially opposed to the laws were police.
01:08They were concerned the change could spur first-time drug use and see an increase in
01:13crime.
01:14Certainly we haven't seen a significant change in behaviour at all.
01:19But they're keen to reinforce that the laws didn't change the fact drugs are illegal.
01:24It's obviously a health-focused response which we absolutely support, but we've still
01:29continued to undertake our other policing activity absolutely with a zero-tolerance
01:33approach.
01:34Rather than facing a criminal charge, people caught with small amounts of drugs such as
01:38ice, heroin and cocaine are now issued a $100 fine, or referred to a one-hour drug education
01:46and health assessment.
01:48Since the laws came in, 237 people have opted for the assessment, while 13 people have been
01:55fined.
01:56Since decriminalisation, there's been a 50% jump in the number of samples tested by the
02:01city's drug-checking service, CanTest.
02:04We haven't noticed any increase in drug use, and I don't think that's been apparent anywhere.
02:10But I think people are more comfortable coming forward and seeking help.
02:15And that's more important than ever, with dangerous substances like fentanyl and nitrazines
02:20in illicit drugs found for the first time in Canberra.
02:2420 people have died from suspected drug overdoses in the territory this year, but experts say
02:30there's no correlation with decriminalisation.
02:33Research out of Oregon and Washington has shown that decriminalisation doesn't affect
02:38fatal drug overdoses one way or the other.
02:41While it appears the laws haven't substantially changed life in the capital, they will be
02:45independently reviewed next year.
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