❓ The Minister for Mental Health outlines the government's strategy to combat methamphetamine use, including increased funding for treatment services, education programs, and collaboration between various government departments. The Minister also contrasts the current government's investment with that of the previous Labor government.
AnsweredQoN 277Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE
277. Ms E. EVANGEL to the
Minister for Mental Health:
Can the minister please advise the house what this government
is doing to reduce the scourge of meth in our community?
277. Ms E. EVANGEL to the
Minister for Mental Health:
Can the minister please advise the house what this government
is doing to reduce the scourge of meth in our community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Perth for the question and I appreciate
her support. The Minister for Police and I were very pleased to be in the
member's electorate this morning to launch the meth strategy. It is an
important strategy because it is a total package that comes together with
Police, Corrective Services and Education to make sure that we are all working
together to get the best outcome for people in Western Australia. This strategy
supports people throughout Western Australia; it is not a metropolitan
strategy. We were at the Next Step alcohol and drug clinic this morning—a
very effective service. We are making that also a specialised meth service
where people can go and get assessed and treated at the one spot. We will use
that as a pilot to see how it can be progressed at later stages. Another
important thing about meth, of course, is that it is a frightening drug. People
are saying at the moment that this government has been in office for eight
years. In fact, drug use has gone down, amphetamine use has gone down, but
methamphetamine is the stronger and more potent drug. Fewer people are using
it, but they are using it more often and they are using a stronger component of
it. That has gone up and that is what this strategy is addressing.
In my section of it—there
are a few parts to it—the part that I think most people are interested
in is $9.8 million for treatment services. That is community-based treatment
services as well as additional beds for withdrawal and treatment. People say that
another 60 beds is not enough. Let me assure members that 365 beds are already
in the system. We are talking about a 20 per cent increase in the number of
beds in this area. That does make a difference. It is not the only form of
treatment. Those are there. We will also be having work done with nurses in
emergency departments. We have $2.2 million for that. We have also got a $1.6 million
expansion in initiatives for prevention. A lot of that will be done through
education. We have seen the campaigns go out. Once again, the opposition says, ''What
have you done?'' Amphetamine campaigns started in 2011. We have moved on—we
are on to meth campaigns now. They are different. They started rolling out late
last year and they have been rolled out again. We will do two a year. Those
things are happening and there are specialised education programs as well going
through in that very effective School Drug Education and Road Aware campaign.
Those things, including treatments,
are important. I would say that very few people in this chamber do not know
some family or somebody who is affected by meth. It is a frightening drug and
it is one that needs to be addressed. I am very happy to say that this
government's investment is an 83.1 per cent increase, member for
Warnbro. The Labor government did not do anywhere near that. This government
is. It is tackling it and it will make a difference.
her support. The Minister for Police and I were very pleased to be in the
member's electorate this morning to launch the meth strategy. It is an
important strategy because it is a total package that comes together with
Police, Corrective Services and Education to make sure that we are all working
together to get the best outcome for people in Western Australia. This strategy
supports people throughout Western Australia; it is not a metropolitan
strategy. We were at the Next Step alcohol and drug clinic this morning—a
very effective service. We are making that also a specialised meth service
where people can go and get assessed and treated at the one spot. We will use
that as a pilot to see how it can be progressed at later stages. Another
important thing about meth, of course, is that it is a frightening drug. People
are saying at the moment that this government has been in office for eight
years. In fact, drug use has gone down, amphetamine use has gone down, but
methamphetamine is the stronger and more potent drug. Fewer people are using
it, but they are using it more often and they are using a stronger component of
it. That has gone up and that is what this strategy is addressing.
In my section of it—there
are a few parts to it—the part that I think most people are interested
in is $9.8 million for treatment services. That is community-based treatment
services as well as additional beds for withdrawal and treatment. People say that
another 60 beds is not enough. Let me assure members that 365 beds are already
in the system. We are talking about a 20 per cent increase in the number of
beds in this area. That does make a difference. It is not the only form of
treatment. Those are there. We will also be having work done with nurses in
emergency departments. We have $2.2 million for that. We have also got a $1.6 million
expansion in initiatives for prevention. A lot of that will be done through
education. We have seen the campaigns go out. Once again, the opposition says, ''What
have you done?'' Amphetamine campaigns started in 2011. We have moved on—we
are on to meth campaigns now. They are different. They started rolling out late
last year and they have been rolled out again. We will do two a year. Those
things are happening and there are specialised education programs as well going
through in that very effective School Drug Education and Road Aware campaign.
Those things, including treatments,
are important. I would say that very few people in this chamber do not know
some family or somebody who is affected by meth. It is a frightening drug and
it is one that needs to be addressed. I am very happy to say that this
government's investment is an 83.1 per cent increase, member for
Warnbro. The Labor government did not do anywhere near that. This government
is. It is tackling it and it will make a difference.
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