"Australian drug policy is often worse than the drugs themselves - if anything, we are addicted to law enforcement more than drug use."
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The Fair Treatment Campaign is calling on the government to treat personal drug use as a health issue rather than a legal matter, while also asking it to double its investment to address "an epidemic of drug use".
On September 30, Uniting will host a free screening of the Half a Million Steps documentary in Tamworth.
Senior adviser Kyle Cox hopes it can "chip away at the stigma around drug use and make people aware of the postcode lottery that Australians face accessing services".
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"We documented the journey of 100 people who walked from Dubbo to Sydney to highlight just how far regional people have to go in order to access services and treatment," he said.
"We are not condoning drug use but would like to see all drugs in small quantities decriminalised, because all of the evidence from 24 countries that have decriminalised personal use shows a dramatic decrease in overall usage, overdoses and teenage drug use."
Mr Cox said current drug policy was moving the nation closer to the Philippines' system, where there are claims of over 20,000 deaths since 2018.
He also pointed to the evidence coming from nations such as Portugal, the Czech Republic and Uruguay.
"We need to shift our resources to helping people, and putting power in the hands of medical professionals, not lawyers," Mr Cox said.
"Research shows that for every $1 spent on treatment services, society gets $7 in return through keeping people out of prison and back in the workforce.
"Where else can you get a return on investment like that?"
Tamworth resident Bob Murray has been interested in the idea of decriminalisation since hearing about Portugal "a few years ago", and wants to use the movie screening to kick-start a local action group.
"I think everyone deserves the best chance of treatment and rehabilitation," he said.
"The current system just isn't working, so why aren't we trying a different approach?"
Uniting stems out of the Uniting Church, which first entered the drugs debate in 2001 by opening the safe injecting room in Kings Cross during "an epidemic" of heroin overdoses.
"There has to be a more practical and effective solution to this - regional Australians need more and better treatment services," Mr Cox said.
Half a Million Steps will screen at the Forum 6 Cinema on September 30 at 6.15pm, bookings via eventbrite.
