MACKAY MUST JOIN WAR AGAINST DRUGS

It was heartening to see a wide cross-section of the community turn out to
support Saturday's walk to mark United Nations' International Day Against
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Organisers say that about 350 people took to the streets of Mackay to show
their support for the fight against drugs, and in doing so recognised that
Mackay is not immune from this social scourge.

Often we take the advantages of living in a smaller community for granted.
The ills of the cities seem to be on a smaller scale here. But let's not
kid ourselves that we are a drug-free zone.

Take a closer look and you will find that drugs, and the many social
problems they bring, are well and truly present in our region and affect us
all.

Drugs wreck families, steal our young people's futures, fuel many crimes
and touch the lives of all community members. While each parent hopes
their child will be spared, the risk that our children will be approached,
will be touched in some way, is very high.

We all need to take the fight against drugs as something that affects us
personally.

Saturday's march was a step in the right direction. Now that the profile
of the problem is raised, let's take some practical steps towards tackling
this scourge.

Families in this community have been crying out in recent times for drug
rehab facilities in this area. While we can all hope and pray that the
members of our families will never have to use such facilities, let's show
sufficient awareness to realise that they are needed and could prove the
difference between life and death for members of our community.

The war against drugs is just that, a battle for our young, and we need to
arm ourselves with every available resource to fight for their lives.