Lynn Ruane: Decriminalise People, Not Substances
Lynn Ruane addressed the Committee on Drug Use, arguing for decriminalisation of people who use drugs and stressing that policy must focus on human lives rather than substances. She combined evidence-based arguments with a personal testimony about friends lost to overdose as Ireland prepares to consider the committee's report.
Lynn Ruane thanked colleagues on the Committee on Drug Use and signalled further debate when the committee report is brought before the Houses. She emphasised that citizens' assemblies, departments and politicians have contributed evidence and that the forthcoming report will need careful consideration.
Ruane described the speech as an emotional moment and explained the symbolism of the flowers on her arms, each representing a friend lost to overdose or drug-related causes. She recounted promises made at funerals and said those memories fuel her political commitment to change how people who use drugs are treated.
Ruane framed decriminalisation as a measure that targets the treatment of people, not the regulation of substances. She called on lawmakers to remember vulnerability and complexity, to avoid compounding harm, and to create every opportunity to protect those experiencing addiction, citing international evidence in support.
She concluded by asking colleagues to keep the lives behind the statistics in mind as the report is given further consideration, and thanked everyone who has supported the work to date.
Committee remarks and purpose
Lynn Ruane thanked colleagues on the Committee on Drug Use and signalled further debate when the committee report is brought before the Houses. She emphasised that citizens' assemblies, departments and politicians have contributed evidence and that the forthcoming report will need careful consideration.
Personal testimony and memorial
Ruane described the speech as an emotional moment and explained the symbolism of the flowers on her arms, each representing a friend lost to overdose or drug-related causes. She recounted promises made at funerals and said those memories fuel her political commitment to change how people who use drugs are treated.
Policy focus and evidence
Ruane framed decriminalisation as a measure that targets the treatment of people, not the regulation of substances. She called on lawmakers to remember vulnerability and complexity, to avoid compounding harm, and to create every opportunity to protect those experiencing addiction, citing international evidence in support.
Closing remarks
She concluded by asking colleagues to keep the lives behind the statistics in mind as the report is given further consideration, and thanked everyone who has supported the work to date.
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Transcript
I obviously want to thank my colleagues from across the House who are part of the Committee on Drug Use and I think we'll get into a greater detail of a debate when the report comes before the Houses. But I think it would be remiss of me today that while we acknowledge the work of citizens' assemblies and politicians and departments, I think today, this week really has been quite emotional for me. The only reason I'm in politics, if any of you want rid of me about politics, just give me decriminalisation and gone. But decriminalisation of the person who uses drugs, it's not about a substance. A substance doesn't go to a jail cell, a substance doesn't die, a substance doesn't sit in their room, lonely, wondering. It's the people that do. It's not about substances, it's about the person. So when you decriminalise drugs, it's actually not the drugs you should be thinking about, it's the person. It's the person that we're decriminalising for something that they're experiencing. We have warm weather at the Minnabon. One of the reasons why I do have my full arms out today is I wanted to remind myself each and every flower on my arm represents a friend of mine that's gone from either directly overdose or drug-related issues in some sense or form. And every flower represents the months that they died and the months that that flower blooms in. And today while we recognise the evidence, the international evidence, the global evidence, I just really want to acknowledge the promise that I made each and every time, that I kissed each and every one of them goodbye in the head as they lay in the funeral home, that one day that they will not be a criminal purely because they experience addiction or because they use drugs. So I ask as we move forward and we consider the report that we remember, it's not about substances, it's about people and it's about how we treat people and how we create every single opportunity to not compound the harm for people who are already experiencing some of the greatest vulnerabilities and complexities in their lives. So I just really want to remember my friends today and to, I suppose, mark their lives as being part of the journey that I will continue on as this report is given more life. But I want to thank everyone in here that has supported the work to date. Thank you.