Drug Free Australia (DFA) is concerned about the lack of response from Peter Garrett, following allegations that he and two high profile celebrities smoked cannabis together.

Referring to the recent media reports that

“ROCKER-turned-politician Peter Garrett was embroiled in controversy yesterday after Silverchair's Daniel Johns boasted of "smoking joints" with the former singer”, Jo Baxter, Executive Officer, Drug Free Australia issued a statement that expressed the following:

1. DFA is concerned that there is still widespread perception that Cannabis is a ‘soft’ drug. The statement by David Johns, even if it was flippant, indicates (because of its flippancy) that there are still people who don’t understand the complexities of this drug - that, among other things, it is addictive and linked to psychosis.

“This perception is partly due to the decriminalisation of cannabis in some states which has lead to many young people believing that it’s actually legal (and therefore, not harmful). In fact some countries, including Sweden, have not separated Cannabis from Heroin – i.e. that it’s a narcotic drug, with many dangerous side effects. For example, we now know that it’s more complex than tobacco, highly addictive and linked to psychosis”.

2. There is a position in our society that politicians should be drug tested for narcotics. It’s illegal to use them and this matter should be treated as seriously as other laws that our political leaders need to observe.

“DFA calls on Peter Garrett not to stay silent, but make his position on drugs clear.  We definitely need more than just a one line statement from Kevin Rudd saying that Labor will be ‘tough on drugs’.

Along with hundreds of thousands of Australians, DFA is calling on Labor to give us more information about their policy on narcotic drugs.

Drug Free Australia is well placed to work closely with all political parties to provide the latest research from both national and international sources”.