[Brad Lockyer]

The Victorian state government has announced plans to ‘decriminalise’ public drunkenness, as part of legal reforms it says will replace a criminal justice response with a health-based approach.

Under the new rules, which are set to come into effect from November, people found intoxicated in public will be taken home or to facilities where they can sober up, rather than the police station.

Victorian attorney-general Jaclyn Symes says the changes expand on a government initiative to put health responses first.

“We want people to get a health response when they are drunk in public,” she says.

“Being drunk in public will no longer be an offence in its own right.”

The move has been met with opposition from the police union. Victorian branch secretary Wayne Gatt told the Herald Sun the reforms would be “negligent and reckless”.

“What police will have to do, in cases where no offence has been committed, will be to sit back, watch and wait for an offence to be committed,” he said.

“We think that’s going to put the community at significant risk.”

What do you think? Would you support these kinds of rule changes in your state?

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