MORE ACTION IS NEEDED TO STOP THE DRUG PROBLEM IN AUSTRALIA

NOW that the Federal election is over and done with and the Prime Minister
has been returned I hope that we see a more serious attack on the problem
of illicit drugs in Australia.

At the end of 1997 the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, announced the Tough on
Drugs strategy.

In his speech he took a tough line on the drug problems and committed an
additional $875.m towards a National Illicit Drug Strategy.

The launching of this strategy should have signalled the beginning of a
greater public awareness of the reality of the problems Australia is facing.

Instead, the various governments and the media continue to do all but
ignore the enormity of the problem.

Only 'quick-fix' solutions are deemed worthy of media or government
attention while programs which offer real, long term solutions are
underfunded or ignored.

At the end of August the Federal Minister for Health and Family Services
announced grants of more than $30m as part of the National Illicit Drug
Strategy.

That $1.7m was granted to a program designed to assist people withdraw from
methadone, a drug that was introduced to help people get off heroin, shows
that a great deal of care should be taken before introducing programs that
are aimed at replacing one drug with another.

The results of the continued use of narcotic drugs (illegal or legal)
affect every citizen in some way.

Even those who have not been directly affected by the tragedy of family or
friends suffering or dying are affected by rising crime, rising health
costs and the diversion of tax dollars into the criminal justice system.

I hope that the idea of "getting tough" on narcotic drugs is not used as an
excuse to impose tougher penalties on users or to throw more money at
'quick-fix' solutions that historically create new problems.

Instead let us see a more positive approach to dealing with the underlying
social attitudes and a concerted campaign aimed at allowing people to come
to their conclusion that the use of mind altering substances is destructive
to themselves and the community.

The drug free ambassadors not only conduct a program of prevention through
education, but also offer withdrawal and detoxification methods that were
developed by Dr Ron Hubbard during his research into the effects of drugs
on the mind.

Michael Swan
Drug Free Ambassador Campaign
Canberra

Checked-by: Richard Lake