❓ The Minister for Health updates the house on the implementation of the Methamphetamine Action Plan, highlighting investments in treatment beds, border force, roadside testing, and mental health emergency centres. The government is responding to the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce's report and will release a full response next year.
AnsweredQoN 988Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE ACTION
PLAN
988. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
commitment to reducing the harm of methamphetamine use throughout our
community. Can the minister update the house on how the government is
implementing its unprecedented Methamphetamine Action Plan, including extra
measures targeted at supporting families in crisis?
PLAN
988. Mrs R.M.J. CLARKE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
commitment to reducing the harm of methamphetamine use throughout our
community. Can the minister update the house on how the government is
implementing its unprecedented Methamphetamine Action Plan, including extra
measures targeted at supporting families in crisis?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question
and her concern, along with many members of the community, about the impact
that methamphetamine is having on both the people who are caught within the
spiral of addiction and also their families and friends upon whom this
insidious drug has a devastating impact. It is pleasing that we are seeing a reduction
in the number of people using methamphetamine, but it is disturbing that
amongst those people who are using, they are using to greater and more
dangerous levels. We will not stop at anything to make sure that the government
puts its shoulder to the wheel to ensure that as a community we can get on top
of this insidious drug. We have a comprehensive plan—the
Methamphetamine Action Plan—which is about reducing the supply,
reducing the demand and reducing the harm of methamphetamine in our community.
In particular, we have already invested $171 million, including the
introduction of the methamphetamine border force and the establishment by the
Minister for Police of police roadside testing; 93 treatment beds across Western
Australia, including 49 in the south west alone; a treatment plan for services
in the Kimberley; WA's first alcohol and drug treatment prison for
women and a second facility for men is in progress under the leadership of the
Minister for Corrective Services; and the establishment of mental health
emergency centres. Last week we announced $1 million towards the establishment
of a new centre at Midland hospital. We have dedicated $11 million towards the
establishment of a similar facility at Royal Perth Hospital.
Yesterday, we released the findings
of the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce. It is a comprehensive report into
ongoing efforts and what we need to do as a society to get on top of this
particular issue. The report acknowledged the state government's work
to combat methamphetamine use and made 57 recommendations that look at
education, intervention, treatment and support services, reducing harm and use,
meeting regional needs, pathways following treatment, and cross-sector
collaboration and evaluation. I was very proud to stand with the Minister for
Police and the Premier yesterday to announce our initial response to the
findings, which includes the ongoing rollout of new mental health emergency
centres, including, as I said, the one at Midland Health Campus, which is
initially for a four-bed, two-chair facility at that hospital. That comes on
top of our plans at Royal Perth Hospital and the centres already operating at
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus. We announced the
trialling of a compulsory intervention program that will provide a safe place
for people gripped in a crisis to go to get the detoxification they need in
order to go on and receive treatment services for their ongoing rehabilitation.
This will be an important development because we are responding to the cries
from family members and from friends who are saying, ''For God's
sake, provide us with some support so that we can get support to these people
suffering from addiction to these insidious drugs.'' In particular, the
Mental Health Commission will be working on a 24-hour, one-stop shop support
service for people suffering from addiction, people supporting those suffering
from addiction, and clinicians wanting to get their clients or patients into a better
treatment stream. It will make sure that we can provide the support for
services.
This
government will not shy away from the responsibility of dealing with this major
problem across our community. Our Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce has
delivered positive results but we know that there is still much more to do. The
government's full response to the recommendations of the
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce's report will be released
next year. I now table the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce's
report. It is a great report. I would like to thank the task force members,
under the leadership of Mr Ron Alexander, for providing this comprehensive,
great report. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the member for
Bunbury, the honourable Don Punch, for his work on that report.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Not ''honourable'';
we know that he provided very honourable service to the task force's
considerations and we thank him for all his hard work.
[See paper 2079.]
and her concern, along with many members of the community, about the impact
that methamphetamine is having on both the people who are caught within the
spiral of addiction and also their families and friends upon whom this
insidious drug has a devastating impact. It is pleasing that we are seeing a reduction
in the number of people using methamphetamine, but it is disturbing that
amongst those people who are using, they are using to greater and more
dangerous levels. We will not stop at anything to make sure that the government
puts its shoulder to the wheel to ensure that as a community we can get on top
of this insidious drug. We have a comprehensive plan—the
Methamphetamine Action Plan—which is about reducing the supply,
reducing the demand and reducing the harm of methamphetamine in our community.
In particular, we have already invested $171 million, including the
introduction of the methamphetamine border force and the establishment by the
Minister for Police of police roadside testing; 93 treatment beds across Western
Australia, including 49 in the south west alone; a treatment plan for services
in the Kimberley; WA's first alcohol and drug treatment prison for
women and a second facility for men is in progress under the leadership of the
Minister for Corrective Services; and the establishment of mental health
emergency centres. Last week we announced $1 million towards the establishment
of a new centre at Midland hospital. We have dedicated $11 million towards the
establishment of a similar facility at Royal Perth Hospital.
Yesterday, we released the findings
of the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce. It is a comprehensive report into
ongoing efforts and what we need to do as a society to get on top of this
particular issue. The report acknowledged the state government's work
to combat methamphetamine use and made 57 recommendations that look at
education, intervention, treatment and support services, reducing harm and use,
meeting regional needs, pathways following treatment, and cross-sector
collaboration and evaluation. I was very proud to stand with the Minister for
Police and the Premier yesterday to announce our initial response to the
findings, which includes the ongoing rollout of new mental health emergency
centres, including, as I said, the one at Midland Health Campus, which is
initially for a four-bed, two-chair facility at that hospital. That comes on
top of our plans at Royal Perth Hospital and the centres already operating at
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus. We announced the
trialling of a compulsory intervention program that will provide a safe place
for people gripped in a crisis to go to get the detoxification they need in
order to go on and receive treatment services for their ongoing rehabilitation.
This will be an important development because we are responding to the cries
from family members and from friends who are saying, ''For God's
sake, provide us with some support so that we can get support to these people
suffering from addiction to these insidious drugs.'' In particular, the
Mental Health Commission will be working on a 24-hour, one-stop shop support
service for people suffering from addiction, people supporting those suffering
from addiction, and clinicians wanting to get their clients or patients into a better
treatment stream. It will make sure that we can provide the support for
services.
This
government will not shy away from the responsibility of dealing with this major
problem across our community. Our Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce has
delivered positive results but we know that there is still much more to do. The
government's full response to the recommendations of the
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce's report will be released
next year. I now table the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce's
report. It is a great report. I would like to thank the task force members,
under the leadership of Mr Ron Alexander, for providing this comprehensive,
great report. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the member for
Bunbury, the honourable Don Punch, for his work on that report.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Not ''honourable'';
we know that he provided very honourable service to the task force's
considerations and we thank him for all his hard work.
[See paper 2079.]
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