British Tycoon Richard Branson Calls For Drug Reform Dialogue, Targets One Australian State

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson has joined the Fair Treatment Campaign’s call for the New South Wales government to urgently enact comprehensive drug reform and announce a timeframe for its “long-promised” drug summit.

Launched in 2018 in Sidney and led by the Uniting Church and influential individuals including Branson, the campaign now includes over 70 organizations demanding drug policy and treatment reform. 

In a video shared with The Guardian Australia, the British magnate recognized the campaigning efforts but asserts that the state’s government, Premier Chris Minns, needs to get involved and listen to “the evidence about sensible, compassionate and effective drug laws.”

Minns’ party won the March election after promising to hold the drug summit but the premier thereafter reportedly refused to provide a concrete date but rather promised it would take place within 2024.

Branson applauded the territory’s “incredible” work in advancing measures allowing small, personal possession amounts of drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, as well as in funding for treatment services in NSW.

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Yet in the east coast state, Branson says, “It’s time to decriminalize now and put people’s health first -For God’s sake, do something.” 

His statement closely followed a government announcement regarding new fines for people caught possessing small amounts of illegal drugs. 

Those fines can be avoided by seeking help, a proposal introduced within a broader drug decriminalization measure for the Australian state that eventually didn’t succeed. 

Calls to the government on the drug reform’s urgency are also coming from a health  coalition, including members of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Nursing Health Services Unions. The group recently warned of the need for a drug testing trial for the summer festival season to avoid loss of lives.

See Also: Drug Testing Pivot: Top Test Manufacturer Replaces Marijuana With Fentanyl In Updated Screening Panel

Photo by Tarryn Myburgh on Unsplash