June 22 - Drug Action Week: Mental Health - Drug use & mental health use needs ongoing support

Drug Action Week® - 18-22 June Drug Use & Mental Health Needs Ongoing Support The alcohol, other drugs, and community health areas in non-government sectors face significant difficulties in working with people with complex mental health needs caused by drugs, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia, Ms Donna Bull, said today. On the final day of Drug Action Week®, Ms Bull said a survey in New South Wales of NGOs confirmed current funding, staffing and facilities were inadequate to assess, admit and treat clients with major support needs. “Access to specialist support services is critical, NGOs often report that the public mental health acute care is not available to them and it is difficult to forge service relationships with specialist mental health medical and nursing practitioners,” Ms Bull said. “The survey confirmed that appropriate facilities were another critical issue. Many NGO providers expressed concern regarding their lack of appropriate facilities for people experiencing psychotic symptoms and self-harming/suicidal behaviours.” “Community use of drugs, whether it is alcohol, caffeine, prescription medicines or illicit substances needs better understanding, education and awareness, and Drug Action Week® is about events that inform and involve communities, educators, individuals, the media and governments,” Ms Bull said. ”Drug Action Week® the theme days this year focus on: Monday, 18 June – Drugs in Sport and Recreation Tuesday, 19 June – Treatment Wednesday, 20 June – Prevention Thursday, 21 June – Indigenous Peoples, and Friday, 22 June – Drug Use and Mental Health. “Drug Action Week® is for everyone working to reduce drug-related harm in Australia and provides us with opportunities to remind ourselves that drugs encompass more than just heroin and cannabis,” Ms Bull said. “This ADCA initiative aims to raise awareness about alcohol and other drug issues and promote the achievements of those who work to reduce drug related harm.” Drug Action Week® highlights today include – a drugs and mental health Workshop at Townsville Recovery Services, Queensland; an Indigenous Outreach barbecue to promote healthy food and drinks in West Terrace in Adelaide, South Australia; a Pulse Youth Health Centre youth gathering to talk about drug use and treatment options at Glenorchy, Tasmania; a YAC SHAK (alcohol and drug awareness) DISCO for young people at Wundowie, Western Australia; and the launch of RAW (Recovery Albury Wodonga) to gain support for a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation/ detox in Albury, New South Wales. ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS/ PRODUCERS Drug Use and mental Health Theme Day and State/ Territory Spokespersons A list of spokespersons who have agreed to take calls from media representatives during Drug Action Week®, particularly in relation to Drug Use and Mental Health, follows on the third page. A Fact Sheet on Drug Use an  Mental Health, with contact details for more information on the subject, can be downloaded from the Resources page at www.drugactionweek.org.au. To see the complete National Calendar of Events, log onto www.drugactionweek.org.au/natcal.html. The Drug Action Week® television commercial can be viewed and downloaded by logging onto www.drugactionweek.org.au and going to Commercials – to listen to the supporting radio commercial, or to download it for use, log onto the following link http://pixelframe.net.au/DAW07Radio/DAW07.aif. Contact the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) For more information on Drug Action Week® log onto www.drugactionweek.org.au, or to speak with an ADCA spokesperson, telephone Brian Flanagan on 02 6281 0686 (switch) or 0400 860 058 (m), or send on email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Contact details for Spokespersons Friday, 22 June 2007 Theme – Drug Use and Mental Health David Crosbie, MHCA Phone: 02 6285 3100 (w), 0419 624 420 (m) Professor Wayne Hall, University of Queensland Phone: 07 3365 5330 (w) State/ Territory Spokespersons New South Wales – James A Pitts, Odyssey House, Ph: 02 9820 9999, 0411 144 796 Victoria – Sam Biondo, Executive Officer VAADA, Ph: 03 9416 0899, 0414 974 121 Tasmania – David Clements, Executive Officer ATDC, Ph: 03 6224 7780, 0427 551 600 South Australia – Lesley Edwards, SANDAS, Ph: 08 8231 8818, 0423 294 495 Western Australia – Ms Jill Rundle, Director WANADA, Ph: 08 9420 7236, 0407 055 513 Northern Territory – Paul Finlay, DASA, Ph: 08 8952 8412, 0438 887 394 Queensland – Dennis Young, Drug Arm, Ph: 07 3620 8800 Australian Capital Territory – Phil Lawler, ADFACT, Ph: 02 6292 2733, 0413 153 005

 

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