MORE BEDS TO FIGHT DRUG ADDICTION

The Victorian Government yesterday opened the first drug withdrawal beds to
be funded under its $77million response to the Penington report, promising
to open a further 46 beds by July.

Acting Premier and Health Minister John Thwaites said the new 16-bed
residential withdrawal centre in Abbotsford aimed to treat about 900 people
a year.

The Salvation Army centre is the first facility with six beds dedicated to
homeless people and linked with case managers to refer recovering addicts
to housing, jobs and counselling services. It also has one bed for people
diverted from jail sentences, and nine beds for the general community.

Mr Thwaites said the government was bringing forward money from next
financial year's budget to increase the number of residential withdrawal
beds from 84 to 130 by the end of this financial year.

"Originally we didn't expect to get to that number of beds until the year
2002," he said. "We're bringing forward state money to open up withdrawal
beds immediately because there is such a shortage and we believe that will
make a real difference. The total cost of all of these beds is significant
- - some $12.4million from the State Government."

Major David Brunt, who is responsible for the Salvation Army's drug and
alcohol services, said detoxification beds were urgently needed to reduce
the waiting lists for addicts wanting to stop using drugs.

"To get a person into any sort of rehabilitation program now, we need to
get the drugs and alcohol out of their system," he said. "So this is a
primary starting point for any ongoing treatment."

Recovered alcoholic Paul Lumb overcame his addiction seven years ago after
a three-month stay with the Salvation Army and will be working at the
facility. "There is no other place in the community to deal with the
issue," he said. "If it gets people on the first step to some form of
recovery, then it's invaluable. For many of the people who come in here, it
will be their first place of normality."

Opposition health spokesman Robert Doyle welcomed the initiative but said
more withdrawal beds were needed as well as immediate long-term
rehabilitation places for people who had just completed detoxification.