Introduction by Croakey: The NSW Drug Summit is taking place in Sydney on 4-5 December, and sector leaders are calling on the State Government to ensure it leads to meaningful reforms.
Dr Robert Stirling, Chief Executive of the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA), writes below that the NSW Government must commit to implementing reforms at the conclusion of the Summit – which includes two days of regional forums last month – and “not months down the line”.
The NSW Drug Summit must “ensure that effective prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services are readily available to all communities, regardless of location,” he writes.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government will accept submissions to its inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia up until 31 December 2024 (the initial deadline was the end of September).
“The inquiry will examine our existing alcohol and drugs policies, our treatment services and our community programs, while also looking at the workforce that is required to meet the high demand for services in this area”, said Dr Mike Freelander, House of Representatives Standing Committee Chair.
Robert Stirling writes:
This week’s New South Wales Drug Summit, held in Sydney over two days, presents a critical opportunity to revolutionise the state’s harmful drug policy. The current approach has failed to deliver positive health outcomes and has reached its use-by date.
The state is on the precipice of meaningful drug and alcohol reform, but we cannot trip at the final hurdle.
My chief concern is that we will see a repeat of the 2020 NSW Ice Inquiry at the Drug Summit whereby the community tells Government the same thing it did four to five years ago. A report is drafted, handed down, but significant change does not occur.
We’ve waited 25 long years for reform. Lives depend on this.
People are waiting to access community alcohol and drug services due to chronic underfunding. A recent survey of our members has found that, on any one day, there are at least 1,800 people on their waitlist. This number is likely even higher when considering those waiting for public and private services.
Increased and sustainable funding is crucial to ensure service viability.
The truth is, alcohol and other drugs have been part of human history for thousands of years and that is still the case in Australia today. We should be supporting communities to be healthy, as most do not progress to problematic use or dependence of alcohol and other drugs.
But a proportion of people do experience issues. This is related to the multiple and/or complex challenges they can face in life — like poverty, a history of trauma, stigma and discrimination, homelessness, and mental health concerns — so they turn to substances to cope.
We need drug policies that improve community health and wellbeing. This means penalties should be removed for personal drug use so that people experiencing issues feel safe asking for help. The government needs to remove barriers to treatment and expand access to support services. Decades of evidence prove this approach works.
Thankfully, governments across the world, including in Portugal, are now overhauling drug policies that have caused significant harm.
Numerous studies and real-world examples from countries like Portugal, which changed the way they responded to personal use of drugs in 2001, demonstrate the effectiveness of a health-centred approach.
These models focus on harm reduction, treatment, and social reintegration, leading to significant reductions in drug-related deaths, overdoses, and HIV infections. We must learn from these successes and adjust them to work in our local communities.
In Sydney this week, the Drug Summit will bring together key government and sector leaders to determine a way forward for NSW.
At its conclusion, the NSW Government must show courage and make a clear commitment to enact change and provide a plan that includes targets and funding aims. This will put us on a path towards meaningful reform.
Amplifying regional voices
Finally, we must amplify regional voices and recognise the unique challenges faced by rural communities.
The regional forums in Griffith and Lismore held last month were an important opportunity to hear rural communities’ perspectives and understand their needs. Around 45 percent of NADA members provide services across regional and rural NSW, so it is important we are listening to their stories, using their data and learning from their experiences.
The challenges faced by those in rural and regional areas are often compounded by factors such as limited access to services, workforce shortages, and geographical isolation.
The NSW Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Housing, Youth and Homelessness, Minister for Transport, as well as the Chief Health Officer, attended both regional sessions. The Minister for Police attended Griffith; however, there was high-level and local representation from police at both.
There was representation across health services, including NGOs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services. There was some representation from people with living and lived experience, education and social services, however, this could be improved.
Some key issues were raised that align with the sector position:
- It was very clear that there is a lack of services in regional NSW and people are needing to travel distances to access treatment, or disappointingly, not accessing services because of that geographical barrier.
- Inadequate funding across the continuum of care, including prevention, health promotion and education, early intervention, harm reduction, treatment and post treatment support.
- Barriers to recruitment and retention, including workforce shortages in the regions, as well as the need for multidisciplinary teams.
- Stigma surrounding drug use and how that can prevent people from accessing services, and also how it impacts on families who may be experiencing their own stigma and shame.
- Decriminalisation, diverting people from the criminal justice system and drug checking were raised across most streams.
- Lack of coordination across sectors and the need for a whole of government alcohol and other drug strategy.
The NSW Drug Summit must prioritise addressing these disparities and ensure that effective prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services are readily available to all communities, regardless of location.
The next two days in Sydney The NSW Government must commit to implementing reforms at the Summit’s conclusion, not months down the line. The details will come in time, but the mandate must be clear: action, not just platitudes for change.
NADA members and I stand ready to work with the Government and the broader sector to achieve meaningful change. By adopting a compassionate, evidence-based approach, we can improve health and wellbeing across the NSW community.
Dr Robert Stirling is Chief Executive of the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA) – the New South Wales peak organisation for the non-government alcohol and other drugs sector, representing 80 organisational members that provide services in over 100 locations across NSW.
Read NADA’s position on the NSW Drug Summit here, and its submission to the Federal Government’s inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia here.
Further reading
Ahead of the NSW Drug Summit, here are five ways to prevent overdose deaths, by Dr Steph Kershaw and Dr Jack Wilson
Putting Indigenous leadership and community-led solutions high on the agenda of NSW Drug Summit, by Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Residential Rehabilitation Network
New drug laws are a step in the right direction for NSW, but upcoming Drug Summit should progress these recommendations, by Dr Robert Stirling
Additional support
Help with alcohol and other drugs: For 24/7 free, confidential alcohol or other drug support, contact www.counsellingonline.org.au or call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015 to speak to someone in your state.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
beyondblue: 1300 224 636
13Yarn: 13 92 76
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
QLife: 1800 184 527
Check-In (VMIAC, Victoria): 1800 845 109
Lived Experience Telephone Line Service: 1800 013 755
See Croakey’s archive of articles on prevention
