New Local Drug Action Team to Tackle Glenelg Issues

MEDIA RELEASE

New Local Drug Action Team to tackle Glenelg issues

A new Local Drug Action Team will be established in the Glenelg Shire to tackle alcohol, ice and other drug related problems.

The team is one of 220 across Australia to be funded under the four-year, $19 million Local Drug Action Team program announced last week by Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF).

The program is funded in response to the findings of the National Ice Taskforce.

Southern Grampians Glenelg Primary Care Partnership (SGGPCP) will coordinate the project in partnership with Portland District Health, Heywood Rural Health and Glenelg Shire Council and will work with other key stakeholders across Portland, Heywood and Casterton.

The project will use the Communities That Care framework, which focuses on local issues and opportunities for creating change.

Director of Primary and Aged Care at Portland District Health and Chair of SGGPCP Fiona Heenan said the project would be rolled out across Glenelg Shire to address issues identified in our communities such as:  alcohol and other drug (AOD) use by young people,  low commitment to school  family conflict  and parental attitudes to AOD use by children and adolescents.

“We’re taking a broader approach, not just focussing on a particular drug, and the project will be known as Healthy Glenelg,” Ms Heenan said.

“It will build understanding and skills in the local community and service sectors to deliver effective prevention programs targeted at children and young people. Local Drug Action Teams are being funded to focus on prevention of alcohol and other drug issues and to intervene before an individual starts using alcohol, ice, or any other drug.

“The underlying causes of someone’s substance misuse are very similar no matter what drug they use, including alcohol, so we focus on the causes rather than the drug,” Ms Heenan said.

The team will focus on delivering local health promotion, community-led education and mentoring programs, early intervention and prevention programs, and providing support for vulnerable people to minimise their risk of alcohol and other drug related harms.

“Individual communities will help shape the action plan and strategies to be implemented in their communities,” Ms Heenan said.

“ It looks at connection to school, community, strengthening families, and more broadly at the supply and culture around alcohol and other drugs to intervene before they start using.”

Glenelg Shire Council Mayor Cr Anita Rank said that the project was a great step forward in proactively preventing and addressing the impact of alcohol- and drug-related issues in the region. “The impact of alcohol and other drugs in our community cannot be underestimated, and this new Local Drug Action Team will help to identify and minimise the risk factors that are relevant to our region,” she said.

“The team will work across the towns of Portland, Heywood and Casterton to tackle these issues right across the Glenelg Shire, forming a whole community approach.”

The 12-month project will start during April and the team hopes to secure further funding to continue over the next three years.