RELEASE Bill of Rights 2003

The Right to Information
We believe that drug use, and drug risks are exacerbated by ignorance and inaccurate information.

Legal Rights
We believe that existing drug legislation is flawed and effectively causes greater harm than that it is intended to prevent. We believe that the legislation needs to be independently reviewed and sensible exit strategies examined.

The Right to Employment
We believe that people have a fundamental right to work. We do not believe that drug use in itself should be an obstacle to employment.

We believe that under current legislation it will remain impossible to offer economically viable alternatives to those people working in the drug producing countries.

The Right to Education
Research demonstrates that access to and involvement with education is a substantial protective factor against problematic drug use and exclusion from education represents a substantial risk factor.

The Right to Dignity
We believe that all people have the right to be treated with dignity.

The Right to Housing
We believe that access to stable and secure housing for all is beneficial to individuals and to wider society.

The Right to Healthcare
We believe that people who use drugs have the same right to prompt, effective and appropriate healthcare as people who do not use drugs.

The Right to Safety
We believe that, while much drug use is inherently risky, strategies and resources exist to reduce these risks both to the individual and the state.

The Right to Family Life
We will support policy and practice that looks at drug use within the family in a sensible and pragmatic way, and seeks to support families encountering drug use within the family.