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A SERIES of community information sessions about drugs, such as ice, and their perils is being organised in the Loddon Mallee.
Bendigo Community Health Services will bring the All Time High sessions to six municipalities, using support announced yesterday as part of the state government’s $180 million Ice Action Plan.
BCHS continued health and independence director Dale Hardy expected the forums would raise awareness and understanding of the substances being used in the community and the associated risks.
“The information is valuable for those who have contact with people who use drugs such as health professionals and concerned family members so they can help their patients or loved ones understand the dangers and learn harm reduction strategies,” he said.
The organisation is planning to host sessions in Campaspe, Central Goldfields, Macedon Ranges, Mount Alexander, Mildura and Swan Hill.
The initiative builds on the success of a forum hosted in Bendigo in May, featuring Edith Cowan University senior lecturer of addiction and ethno-pharmacologist Dr Stephen Bright.
Dr Bright then spoke of his concerns about new and emerging drugs that were rising to prominence in Victoria.
More than 500 new so-called “legal high” and illicit drugs have emerged in the past six years.
“New drugs, particularly synthetic drugs, create great challenges for healthcare and emergency services staff and the public so it’s important to provide the latest information to benefit the community,” Mr Hardy said.
The Bendigo event was targeted at professionals working with drug users.
“The feedback from the Bendigo information session was very positive so we applied for a Community Ice Action Grant to host more events across a wider area,” Mr Hardy said.
Funds to help LGBTI community
BCHS was one of 13 recipients of funding in the third round of Community Ice Action Grants.
The Victorian AIDS Council will use the support it receives to increase its digital presence.
Chief executive officer Simon Ruth said the grant would enable the organisation to offer a peer-based approach to substance abuse prevention for LGBTI people.
A study involving 4000 LGBT Australians found that members of the LGBTI community were disproportionately affected by drug use, with the exception of heroin.
La Trobe University researchers reported a link between drug use and psychological distress.
Prominent sources of distress included harassment or abuse due to the participants’ gender or sexual identity.
“It is difficult for LGBTI people to access services at the best of times, and right now – particularly, I think, in rural and regional Australia, where you don’t have the obvious supports you have in the city – it's much more difficult for LGBTI people to come into health services, to say you're LGBTI and not know what sort of response you're going to get from the health professional,” Mr Ruth said.
He said the fact that most services were based in metropolitan areas meant VAC needed to deliver its services in rural and regional areas such as Greater Bendigo in different ways.
The organisation works in partnership with the state government to deliver information, support and services for LGBTI Australians digitally via the TouchBase website.
The site focuses on alcohol and drugs, mental health and sexual health.
It also offers a variety of tools and stories from the community.
While VAC’s grant project is web-based, the organisation plans to extend its physical presence in future.
“Gone are the days when, if you came out of the closet, you had to move to Melbourne,” Mr Ruth said.
“People want to stay living in regional and rural Victoria and we need to be offering services to them where they live.”
Grassroots response importance highlighted
Minister for Mental Health, Martin Foley, emphasised the importance of a community-based response to substance abuse during Monday’s announcement in Bendigo.
“If you support people in their communities, that’s where you get the best response,” he said.
It was at a grassroots level that Mr Foley said people were directly engaging with each other about issues such as ice.
He said communities were best positioned to spread the messages about how to recognise people who were vulnerable, and direct people to support services to avoid the depths of despair associated with addiction.
“It’s not for anyone in government to tell communities how to respond,” Mr Foley said.
“These ice action grants are about communities telling us what works.”
He was hopeful the funding would help raise awareness of the support available.
“There are always opportunities there for people facing drug and alcohol addiction, particularly when it comes to methamphetamine use, which we continue to see rising disproportionately in our regional communities as a real threat,” Mr Foley said.
“We know that's not the only aspect of what we need to do… the support we need has to be right across the spectrum of treatment, prevention and rehabilitation”.
Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, described the support for community groups to do their work at grassroots level as a huge step forward.
“Local support is the key to beating ice, and groups around Bendigo are doing a fantastic job in our community,” Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, said.