National Family Drug Support Day
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National Family Drug Support Day

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National FDS Day

FAMILY DRUG SUPPORT

5 Key Points



In the addresses at the events held at the Canberra, Sydney, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia Parliament Houses, Mr Tony Trimingham (CEO, Family Drug Support) will call for the following major requirements.

1. Policy must focus on measures that reduce drug fatalities - families want policies and programs that keep their children alive. This includes harm reduction strategies such as safe injecting facilities, pill testing and heroin prescription programs.

2. Families want informed and innovative policies and programs that reduce the likelihood of harm for their children. This means substantially increasing the proportion of Australia’s $1.7 billion drug budget for harm reduction (2.2%) and treatment services (22%) from the current allocations.

3. A reliance on criminal sanctions to address drug use only serves to create more problems – drug use is a health issue not a crime issue and families want services that assist their children not punish and criminalise them in a way that creates lifelong penalties. Drug users and their families should always be treated with respect care and compassion.

4. Greater inclusion of family members in the decision making process for families experiencing problematic drug use – For too long families have been left in the cold as they are often seen as part of the problem. Families must be included as equal partners and consulted on all aspects in the development and implementation of drug policies and programs.

5. Family support must be recognized and resourced as a key element in achieving positive outcomes with people experiencing problematic drug and alcohol use, with a much greater emphasis needed to support Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse families – families want services that are there to help them as well as the affected individual.

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MEDIA RELEASE
 

National Family Drug Support Day

24th February 2016

 
Drug Use Can Happen In Any Family

The National Family Drug Support Day organisers are pleased to announce that the National, NSW, Victorian, Queensland and South Australian Parliament Houses will be hosting events for the inaugural National Family Drug Support Day. In addition several key speakers are locked in to speak.

The National event which will open the day is at Parliament House in Canberra (Courtyard 27J) from 10am

Speakers include:

  • Tony Trimingham – CEO and founder of Family Drug Support        
  • Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash – National Party Deputy Leader
  • The Hon Stephen Jones MP – Shadow Assistant Minister for Health
  • Senator the Hon Richard Di Natale - Australian Greens Leader
  • David Quilty – CEO, Pharmacy Guild of Australia     
  • Garth Popple – Executive Director, We Help Ourselves and also representing ATCA
  • Debbie and Marion – Family members

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MEDIA RELEASE
 
"Criminalising drug users just compounds problems for families"

 3rd February 2016
 
Cain 450

“Families can sometimes have so much to deal with when drug use occurs, especially problematic drug use. Having a family member branded a criminal and having to navigate the criminal justice system only makes matters worse.”

Tony Trimingham, CEO and Founder of Family Drug Support and organiser of the National Family Drug Support Day on the 24th February said today.

Recent data from the Australian Crime Commission shows that over 90,000 people were arrested last year for just using drugs across Australia.

The breakdown of these arrests across the country is as follows:

NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT
21,013 16,466 28,389 13,414 11,158 1,027 492 927

The most disturbing aspect of these 90,000 people across the country being arrested and charged is that the overwhelming majority are for cannabis use. The harm being done by criminalising so many people is devastating for families as every person being charged, arrested and stigmatised as a criminal has a family forced to endure the long term damage having a criminal record brings.

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MEDIA RELEASE
 
"Drug Use Can Happen in Any Family"

27th January 2016
 
Crystal 450

“No matter how strong our desire for people not to use drugs or our efforts at education and prevention, people will use drugs. Yet for far too many people that will mean encountering many unnecessary harms. First and foremost, families want people they know using drugs to be safe.”

Tony Trimingham, CEO and Founder of Family Drug Support and organiser of the National Family Drug Support Day on the 24th February said today.

Recent statistics show that the estimated number of the Australian population aged 15 years or over who have recently used illicit drugs is almost 3 million people.

(Source Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2013 National Household Survey)

The breakdown of drug use across the country showing the vast number of people in Australia reporting drug use is as follows:

NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT
867,562 682,452 587,076 353,962 217,978 63,443 47,961 42,018

Mr Trimingham pointed out that “the families living with someone who uses drugs often find the situation very confronting, stressful and difficult. The constant concerns about the impacts on their behaviour, health, mental well-being, employment, study, relationships, children, finances and future prospects take their toll. Yet we know that much like the drug called alcohol, the millions of people that are using illicit drugs in this country don’t all have problems from their drug use. However, the added worry that because their family member is using a substance that is illegal it means they could be arrested, charged and criminalised is an unnecessary and cruel additional burden. It is not only the person using drugs who is being punished – it is the whole family who suffer.”

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More Articles ...

  • MEDIA RELEASE - Behind every drug user is a family - 18 Jan 2016
  • ANNOUNCEMENT - 1st National FDS Day - 24 Feb 2016
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Our Sponsors

Indivior

Indivior

Indivior is the world leader in addiction treatment with over 20 ears’ experience and a unique patient‐focused approach. Our endeavour is to understand the journey of individuals suffering with addiction. We partner with healthcare professionals, the public health community, policymakers, and payers to ensure people suffering from addiction are treated just like any other patients suffering from a chronic, relapsing medical condition. At Indivior our endeavour is to focus on individual patients around the world. The patient continues to drive our decisions. Our guiding principles foster a corporate culture of trust, innovation, and a pioneering spirit. We work with the urgency and zeal required to achieve required to achieve our vision of ensuring unrestricted access to high-quality treatments for the chronic relapsing conditions and co-morbidities of addiction.

Central Eastern Sydney PHN (CESPHN)

Central Eastern Sydney PHN (CESPHN)

Primary health networks (PHNs) have been established with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for individuals, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes. They also aim to improve coordination of care to ensure people receive the right care in the right place at the right time. PHNs are not for profit, regionally based organisations which aim to strengthen primary care by redirecting frontline health services to improve health outcomes of the community.

Odyssey House NSW

Odyssey House NSW

Odyssey House offers Community Services as well as Residential Services, as well as the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) program. Our Community Services include Alcohol and other drug counselling, mental health services as well as family and parent support programs in locations across Sydney. Our Residential Services include withdrawal and residential rehabilitation programs, mental health programs, a Parent’s and Children’s Program, gambling and specialised group services, as well as numeracy and literacy education and family/relationship issues; domestic violence and other trauma, parental drug misuse; and physical and mental health problems.

Damien Trimingham Foundation

Damien Trimingham Foundation

The Damien Trimingham Foundation is a not for profit foundation established in 1997 after the death of Damien Trimingham. It’s primary aim is to acquire and distribute funds to organisations that support efforts to improve the lives of families affected by alcohol and other drugs.
Copyright © Family Drug Support Australia / PO Box 7363 Leura NSW 2780 / ABN 49 081 764 258 / Website by Collaborative
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