Last night in Parliament Peter Kavanagh (DLP - Democratic Labor Party), came one step closer to successfully banning the sale and display of bongs in Victoria.
The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Prohibition of Display and Sale of Bongs) Bill 2010 proposed by Mr Kavanagh, provides penalty for displaying and selling bongs, bringing Victoria into line with other states. Although this proposed law may be difficult to enforce and bongs can easily be made at home, allowing them to be publically displayed is sending the message that there is nothing wrong with cannabis. Mr Kavanagh said, "even if this bill is passed it will not completely end the sale and display of bongs, but there are still very good reasons for its enactment. Those reasons include curtailing the harm to physical and mental health done by marijuana, limiting the power of this drug to lead to other even more destructive and addictive drugs and reducing the encouragement that the open display and sale of bongs gives to young people to begin consuming cannabis". "My main problem, however, is the effect that the open display and sale of bongs in Victoria has on the attitudes of vulnerable people. A young person in this situation will observe that the very implements that are specifically designed and manufactured to consume marijuana are openly sold in shops. Surely teenagers who are tempted to use marijuana by the desire to rebel at their age and by claims that it is fun and pleasurable -- which no doubt it is -- take encouragement to use cannabis from seeing bongs openly displayed in Victorian shops. Who could blame that teenager for concluding, when they see shops full of bongs, that Victoria's laws against marijuana consumption are a joke?", Mr Kavanagh said. Mr Kavanagh recounted two stories from his own family. Firstly that of his much loved cousin who died prematurely after a lifetime of using prescription drugs. A habit that was developed as a lead on from cannabis use in his teens. Mr Kavanagh also told a story involving his 14 year old nephew who was approached by a shop owner when getting off the train from school. The shop owner told him cannabis was a lot of fun but to really enjoy it he should buy a bong from her shop. His parents were horrified but limited in the action they could take. The Bill will be read for a third time before being voted on in the next sitting week, probably on the 26th of May 2010.
For further comment, please call Peter Kavanagh on 0408 224 774
Peter Kavanagh MLC Member for Western Victoria DLP (Democratic Labor Party)
