Recently the government, to its credit, launched its Tough on Drugs campaign, which is designed to scare and shock children into resisting drug use. While the aims of the campaign should be applauded, I do have some concerns about the emphasis on the shock element of the campaign. As I do in other cases when we use shock therapy, I do question whether showing pictures of young people being resuscitated in hospital and being locked up in a psychiatric ward are the best ways to get this message across. Often shock therapy can have spin-off effects that are unwanted and unintended.
The Tough on Drugs campaign also fails I think to comprehensively address many of the social problems and economic hardships that can often contribute to why many young people resort to drug use in the first place. It is encouraging to see that the recent national drug household survey showed that the proportion of people who had used illicit substances decreased from 16 per cent in 2001 to 15.3 per cent 2004. In 1997 to 1998 there were more than 14,400 hospitalisations attributed to illicit drug use, and the estimated social cost of illicit drug use including alcohol abuse to the Australian community each year is a staggering $6.1 billion. Rather than just getting tough through fear campaigns alone, it would be more beneficial for government to take some action to provide adequate support services to the community.
In the electorate of Calwell, which I represent in this place, there are no specific drug-counselling or support services available. If my constituents need to access such services, they have to travel as far away as Richmond, which can be quite difficult for many residents, particularly those from Sunbury and other semirural parts of the Calwell electorate. I want to thank the alcohol and other drug councils of Australia as well as the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association for organising this week. Hopefully, the information and publicity that will surround next week’s events will play a significant role in discouraging many young people from trying drugs in the first place.
I would like to take the opportunity to put on record on behalf of my constituents our relief at the release of Douglas Wood. To his family and to all those at Foreign Affairs and everyone involved who contributed to his successful release, I would like to say thank you. I have already received emails from some of my constituents who have indicated their relief and exhilaration at the fact that Douglas Wood is now free to go home.
