{"id":515537,"date":"2026-03-03T07:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T07:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/515537\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T07:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T07:51:10","slug":"queensland-government-to-scrap-three-strike-drug-diversion-as-doctors-question-lack-of-consultation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/515537\/","title":{"rendered":"Queensland government to scrap three-strike drug diversion as doctors question lack of consultation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Queensland state government has introduced legislation to parliament seeking to repeal Labor-era laws that gave anyone caught with small quantities of specified illicit substances three chances before facing a criminal charge.<\/p>\n

Under the current laws, a first-time offender is warned, while second and third-time offenders are offered a place in a diversionary program run by healthcare workers.<\/p>\n

Premier David Crisafulli pledged to scrap the scheme in November 2024, after voting against its introduction by the then Palaszczuk Government earlier that year.<\/p>\n

Thousands of people have been diverted from the criminal justice system under the existing policy, which has had the support of police and doctors.<\/p>\n

\"premer<\/p>\n

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli pledged to scrap the program in November 2024.\u00a0 (ABC News: Lucas Hill)<\/p>\n

The Crisafulli Government’s new Illicit Drug Enforcement and Diversion Framework would instead allow first-time offenders a single opportunity to be referred to drug diversion.<\/p>\n

Repeat offenders would face on-the-spot fines or criminal charges.<\/p>\n

Police would be granted stronger powers and discretion when responding to drug offences.<\/p>\n

\"Barbed<\/p>\n

The government said repeat offenders and those involved in more serious drug activity will face stronger enforcement action. (ABC News: Elise Worthington)<\/p>\n

Police Minister Dan Purdie said the current model had failed and pointed to data from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program to suggest drug use had spiked.<\/p>\n

“Offenders could be caught with dangerous drugs like fentanyl, like heroin, multiple times and still avoid meaningful consequences. This must end,” he told Parliament on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

“We need to send a clear message that taking illicit drugs is not acceptable or safe.<\/p>\n

“We continue to crack down on this gateway to addiction and criminal offending.”<\/p>\n

Treatment providers criticise lack of consultation<\/p>\n

Queensland’s peak organisation for the non-government alcohol and other drug treatment sector, QNADA, said the move to wind back the program was “really strange”.<\/p>\n

Chief Executive Rebecca Lang said initial data showed the diversion program had been successful, with 26,000 participants between May 2024 and October last year.<\/p>\n

“Two thirds of them were accessing just the first step (police confiscation of the substance) and then no further contact,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"Blurred<\/p>\n

Police charged a number of people with drug offences. (Supplied: Queensland Police Service)<\/p>\n

Ms Lang said consultation on the changes had been very limited.<\/p>\n

“I attended what I thought was a preliminary meeting to discuss drug diversion with the minister’s office last November and then had a follow-up with his advisers in January, but I was quite surprised to see that a fully formed proposal landed this week,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It seems really strange to seek to wind back a program that’s been working and that improved efficiency of the system.”Doctors raise concerns<\/p>\n

Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) President Dr Nick Yim said members were “disappointed” with the proposed changes.<\/p>\n

Queensland government to axe drug laws<\/a><\/p>\n

Queensland’s new premier has confirmed the LNP will repeal drug laws that are diverting thousands of people away from the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

“We’ve previously worked with stakeholders to determine an appropriate strategy to assist these offenders,” he said.<\/p>\n

“In many instances, medical issues such as depression and anxiety are influencing their decision to turn to drugs.<\/p>\n

“AMAQ will continue to work with the Queensland Government to ensure the health and safety of these individuals moving forward.”<\/p>\n

The Queensland Police Service has declined to comment, but in response to ABC News questions in October 2024, it maintained support for the existing laws.<\/p>\n

“The program frees up hours of police time to focus on serious drug offending such as drug supply, trafficking and manufacturing,” Queensland Police said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n

“This ensures police resourcing can be better focused on areas where they can have a greater impact on community safety.”<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael Berkman says people misusing drugs need healthcare, not a jail cell.\u00a0 (ABC News: Janelle Miles)<\/p>\n

Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman instead called for the expansion of harm reduction services.<\/p>\n

“If someone is misusing drugs, they need healthcare, not a jail cell. Addiction is a health condition, not a crime,” he said.<\/p>\n

“All this does is send more vulnerable, unwell people into overcrowded prisons where \u2014 let’s face it \u2014 drugs are often plentiful and rehabilitative options scant.<\/p>\n

“Instead of helping people, prohibition makes it harder for them to get support, and means more people die from drug misuse.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Queensland state government has introduced legislation to parliament seeking to repeal Labor-era laws that gave anyone caught…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":515538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[257799,64,63,257800,131825,49865,257801,118674,1730,257798,44,111186,14832,79664],"class_list":{"0":"post-515537","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"tag-adult-crime-adult-time-laws","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-crisafulli-government","12":"tag-dan-purdie","13":"tag-david-crisafulli","14":"tag-drug-diversion-scheme","15":"tag-drug-use","16":"tag-drugs","17":"tag-illicit-drug-enforcement-and-diversion-framework","18":"tag-news","19":"tag-police-powers","20":"tag-prisons","21":"tag-qld-police"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}