Drug claims slammed

By Tania Martin
MT EVELYN’S Morrison House has hit back at claims a mural has direct links to illicit drugs.
This follows allegations reported in the Mail’s front page story last week which claimed a mural on the side of the Youth Shed in Wray Crescent had direct drug references.
In a letter to the Mail, Morrison House said the young people involved in putting the mural together had gone to great lengths to ensure it would not be controversial.
“They used a pink elephant from a children’s cartoon book, Road Runner from Looney Tunes, three pucks inspired by Vaughn Bode’s cartoon style from the late ’60s and ’70s and the word FRESH,” the letter said.
CEO Jan Simmonds said the initial response from the youth involved was absolute disbelief at the complaint followed by frustration and anger. “They are starting to feel that no matter what they do they will be scrutinised and judged unfairly,” she said.
In response they have set up a Cause on Facebook, which has reached almost 100 members in 48 hours.
The Morrison House letter said street names for drugs also varied greatly between countries and the social economical layers of society. “An extensive internet search shows there is no reference on any Australian drug website to the word ‘fresh’, this includes the Australian Drug Foundation links and the Australian Government National Drug Campaign website,” it said.
The Australian Drug Foundation told Morrison House last Wednesday, 16 September, that ‘fresh’ could be an American reference to PCP, a drug which is not typically used in Australia. “Now if we were to sensor youth and ban every word on any drug reference list in any country we would seriously limit the vocabulary of the next generation,” Ms Simmonds said.
However, she said the youths had used the word’s literal meaning and had no links to drugs.
Morrison House has questioned why councillor Tim Heenan had not taken up the issue with Morrison House before going to the media.
“If he had followed basic democratic consultation procedures we would have been happy to explain the history and intent of the Street Art Initiative from the Youth Enterprise Shed,” the letter said. “Unfortunately, he has chosen to take this matter straight to council and the media, creating a hurricane in a tea cup.”
Ms Simmonds said Morrison House had run youth programs and believes if there was something wrong with the mural they would have been informed within days of its completion. She said the mural was up for three months before there were complaints.
“If the community was taken for a ride we would have known and intervened appropriately,” Ms Simmonds said.
The mural has since been painted over but Morrison House denies this is an admission of any wrongdoing or buckling under pressure.
Morrison House said the wall was painted in preparation for the Street Art Workshops over the coming holidays