PROMINENT drug-addiction experts have defended the AFL's controversial three strikes illicit drugs policy in a new series of advertisements published today.
The ad is a letter which will appear in several newspapers — including The Age. Twenty-one addiction, law enforcement and medical experts write that the AFL's policy is "probably as effective as can be achieved" in an era where young people are regularly exposed to illicit drugs and substance abuse. "We believe that the AFL has been a leader in responding to illicit drugs," the open letter says.
The letter also attacks those who the authors believe have criticised the policy on political grounds.
"We commend and support the AFL and the AFL Players Association for taking a reasoned, sensible and strong leadership stance in relation to these issues, and for resisting the pressures from populist quarters to use such issues for partisan ends," it says.
"For those of us at the coalface of treating drug addiction and developing policy, watching the criticism is frustrating."
The expression of support will ease the pressure on the AFL, which has come under renewed attack in recent weeks for failing to take a tougher line on offenders.
Last week, federal Sports Minister George Brandis asked the anti-sports doping watchdog for its advice on how out-of-competition testing for illicit drugs could be strengthened.
Both Senator Brandis and the Minister for Ageing, Christopher Pyne, have said for months that the AFL's leniency undermines the Government's tough-on-drugs message.
But Nick Crofts, director of the Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Agency, said the AFL's approach in fact mirrored the current approach to dealing with illicit drug use. Rather than pushing offenders straight into the hands of law enforcement, Professor Crofts said users were now diverted to rehabilitation services.
"Any policy related to illicit drugs and sport should make player welfare its paramount objective," he said. "So we're calling on those who are using the policy for political ends to back off, leave the AFL alone. Essentially, we think they have got it right."
The AFL said yesterday it would not back away from its three strikes policy, which was deliberately developed to reflect the best medical practice.
"We consulted widely with drug and rehabilitation experts on our policy," said AFL spokesman Patrick Keane. "We will discuss the operation of the policy at the end of the season. But it is operating in its current format."
While the league co-operates with the World Anti-Doping Agency on punishing athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs, Mr Keane said the AFL was one of only two sporting codes in Australia that had an illicit drugs policy.
"There's us and the NRL and then 88 sports that do not," he said.
