CAUTION ONLY ON YOUTH DRUGS

New State drug laws will allow children to carry up to 12 marijuana
joints without facing a criminal conviction.

The new laws, which come into effect on Monday, allow under-18s to
escape with a caution if they are found with up to 30g of cannabis for
personal use. The scheme also allows juveniles to carry "very small"
quantities of other drugs including 1g of heroin, 1g of cocaine, 1g of
amphetamine, 0.0008g of LSD and 0.25g of ecstasy.

With cannabis, 30g is about a dozen joints.

But under a parallel scheme, adults will be entitled to carry only 15g
under the caution system designed to free the courts of minor drug
crimes.

Under the Cannabis Cautioning Scheme Trial 96 which is based on a model
in operation in Victoria 96 adults found with 15g or less who can prove
the drug is for personal use will receive a police caution.

People will only be allowed to receive two formal cautions 96 which
will be recorded on the offender's police record 96 before facing the
courts.

The new laws are a response to last May's historic Drug Summit which
also resolved to establish Australia's first supervised heroin
injecting room.

Until now, the courts were the only option for dealing with drug
offences.

Salvation Army spokesman and adviser to the Prime Minister on drug
policy Major Brian Watters yesterday attacked the new laws, calling
them a mere "slap on the wrist".

"It's torpedoing any clear and unambiguous message to young people
that they should not be involved in this," Major Watters said. Under
the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act, 30g of cannabis leaf is defined
as a small quantity.

A Government spokeswoman said it was decided to keep the legally
defined small quantity of cannabis to make it tougher for adults to
qualify for the cannabis cautioning scheme.

The spokeswoman said it was also designed to divert juveniles away
from the courts and into counselling and drug programs.

She said police had discretion to decide whether or not the person
carrying the drug was dealing or possessing the drug for personal use.

The spokeswoman said the rationale was adults knew cannabis was
illegal and were aware of the harmful health effects of the drug and
therefore, tougher standards were needed.

In the past five years more than 16,000 people have appeared before
NSW courts for drug possession with almost three quarters receiving
fines of between $100 and $500.

Special Minister of State John Della Bosca said growing or possessing
cannabis plants would remain illegal.

"Cannabis is a drug which has detrimental health and mental effects on
users. We will not consider legalisation," Mr Della Bosca said.