Page 2484 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 31 July 2019
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I do not highlight the full sentence to diminish the impact of illicit drug use among young people but, rather, to highlight the entirety of the issue faced by families, the government and the drug and alcohol sector. We cannot simply think of this issue as being about illicit drugs. We cannot make the mistake of conflating drug use with addiction. And we must not think that the only, or correct, approach to drug and alcohol issues is a law and order response.
The truth is that there is no magic bullet for alcohol and other drug problems once they have started. Drug and alcohol addiction is a complex and ongoing medical condition and, in young people in particular, it can often be linked to significant trauma which needs to be understood and acknowledged if treatment is to be successful. As in so many other cases, the best response to the use of drugs and alcohol by young people is to prevent drug and alcohol problems before they start. That is why it is important to control the access of young people to alcohol and tobacco, whose use often precedes illicit drug use, and to regulate the promotion of alcohol and tobacco to young people as well as emphasising the harms of illicit drugs.
The ACT government, as set out in the ACT drug strategy action plan, takes a harm minimisation approach focused on three key areas: demand reduction, supply reduction, and harm reduction. As part of the government’s commitment to this issue, in the 2019-20 budget we announced additional funding of $2.9 million over four years to expand early intervention and diversion for people with alcohol and other drug dependence.
Currently, the ACT alcohol and other drugs diversion program operates under a partnership agreement with ACT Policing and the ACT Health Directorate. The alcohol and other drugs diversion program diverts alcohol and other drug offenders, including young offenders, away from the criminal justice system and to assessment and education programs.
The youth alcohol diversion program provides diversion to education for underage drinkers who are intoxicated or are in possession of or consuming alcohol in a public place. The illicit drug diversion component of the program provides diversion through education and assessment for potential treatment for people who are found in possession of illicit drugs for personal use alone. These programs are supported by evidence and provide an element of compulsion without going so far as to detain people only on the grounds of alcohol or drug dependency.
Where young people have come into contact with the youth justice system, the Children and Young People Act requires that young people in detention, as far as practicable, have access to necessary healthcare programs, including rehabilitation programs.
The ACT health system provides mental health, justice health and alcohol and drug services in a range of contexts, including in the community, Bimberi Youth Justice Centre and other inpatient settings.
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