Media Release - International Family Drug Support Day 2018 - A Five Point Plan and New Online Service for Families
MEDIA RELEASE
24 February 2018
24 February 2018
International Family Drug Support Day 2018
‘Support the Family – Improve the Outcome’
| A Five Point Plan and New Online Service for Families |
International Family Drug Support Day is being recognized this weekend all around Australia and at a special event in Federal Parliament on Monday 26th February. The annual day is also being marked with many events across the globe.
The 24th of February, 2018, is the 21st anniversary of the death of Tony Trimingham’s son Damien from a heroin overdose in 1997 – the primary motivation behind his tireless work in the service he founded, Family Drug Support (FDS) and the inspiration for International Family Drug Support Day.
With a 2018 theme of ‘Support the Family – Improve the Outcome’ Mr Trimingham has outlined a clear 5-point plan for Governments to address the unnecessary harm and tragedies caused by drugs:
- Decriminalize the personal possession and use of small quantities of drugs so people using drugs can seek help without fear of prosecution;
- Introduce evidence based policies and programs that reduce the likelihood of harm for people using drugs – this includes safe injection facilities, prescription heroin programs and pill testing services;
- Dramatically increase the level of funding for treatment services – it is distressing for families to know that despite all the evidence, so much more funding is provided to arrest and punish their children and friends who are using drugs than to provide access to education, prevention, treatment and harm reduction services;
- Dramatically increase the level of funding to support families – governments must simply ensure that families are able to access the support they need;
- Develop and implement a campaign to reduce the stigma and discrimination for families and drug users – similar to the recent success we have seen for people with mental health issues.