Although most of us knew this was going to happen, on hearing the news of Andrew Chan's and Myuran Sukumaran's execution, I felt far more frustrated than I thought I would. Make no mistake - the failed and outdated "war on drugs" policy has taken the lives of two Australians. It's time to stop and reflect. What sort of Australia do we want from here on in? One that has prisons full of disadvantaged young people caught for using and dealing drugs? Ones who are caught overseas dealing and shot like Chan and Sukumaran? We face a new chapter. I urge the Prime Minister, and Leader of the Opposition, the police commissioners and especially Ken Lay who is now organising the ice taskforce, to forever banish the idea of the "war on drugs" as begin a new narrative that looks to reconcile the wrongs of this war with a sensible path into the future.

Dealing drugs is a symptom of our futile prohibition policy. Prohibition drives up the cost of drugs to the point that the possible rewards of becoming a courier can seem to be worth the risk to some people. Especially to some vulnerable, disadvantaged young people who see no other way to compete in a society that has provided them with few opportunities or helped them develop the skills needed to be successful.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

I understand why parents and our political leaders shy away from the prohibition debate. It's a very volatile issue and feelings run high – just like the question of capital punishment. It's also not much of a vote winner. But governments can, and do, take action based on evidence.

NSW has effectively regulated prostitution; it also effectively regulated heroin use through the injecting centre and methadone clinics. We cannot say that regulating our illicit drugs is something unimaginable. We have done more than imagine it, we have successfully done it.