INDIGENOUS DRUG ABUSE A CAPITAL SHAME - NEW BODY RAISES ALARM

They die in a city which prides itself as Australia's most affluent
and enlightened community.

The national capital's Aboriginal population is blighted by massively
disproportionate use of booze and illict drugs - and death, according
to health leader Ms Julie Tongs.

She told the launch at Parliament of a new national body to fight
indigenous substance misuse: "We are tired of burying our young
people in this community." Last year, three young people died from
overdoses within six weeks.

Canberra's experience reflects what happens throughout Australia,
according to the chairman of the new National Indigenous Substance
Misuse Council, Mr Scott Wilson.

He said death was so frequent from substance abuse that some
communities were becoming dysfunctional. "Right across the country
community members are attending funerals on an ever frequent basis.
So frequent that we believe post traumatic stress disorder is a way
of life."

Mr Wilson, the director of South Australia's Aboriginal Drug and
Alcohol Council, said there were people at yesterday's launch who had
lost 30 family and extended family members due to alcohol-related
death in the past three years.

But Mr Wilson said the council will battle to make a big difference
while it remained under-funded. The big priorities were to provide
the right services for communities, many of which had different
needs, and ensure continuation of programs.

Opposition spokesman Mr Bob McMullan said the Government's launch
came yesterday with no funding or formal consultative role with the
Commonwealth.

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Ruddock, made no commitment
but asserted the Federal Budget offered the strongest commitment to
reduce indigenous disadvantage.

Mr Ruddock said alcohol was "inarguably [sic] one of the most
destructive forces tearing at the fabric of a great many indigenous
communities today".

Mr Wilson said there were more than 60 indigenous substance misuse
agencies, but there was a need for a national voice to ensure the
right programs were funded by the Federal and State governments.

"Substance misuse is such a big problem in many communities.

"But there is no voice out there," he said.

Ms Tongs blames a shortage of appropriate services for indigenous
people and racism for the failure to prevent the accelerating death
rate from overdoses. Last year, 27 per cent of Canberra's fatal
overdoses came from Aboriginal people, who represent 0.95 per cent of
the population.

She said there was a reluctance "to recognise that there is a
community out there that is self-destructing, that is so
dysfunctional".

The ACT Health Minister, Mr Michael Moor, said many indigenous people
regularly used drug and alcohol services.

He named six recent developments to expand support for indigenous
people with drug problems.