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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-30 Daily Xml
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DRUG REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse a question regarding the funding of drug programs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: A number of non-government organisations, such as DrugBeat, have conducted abstinence-based drug rehabilitation programs and have achieved a high level of measurable success. Some other organisations that conduct abstinence-based programs are Teen Challenge and Karobran New Life Centre, which operates in the South-East. They regard abstinence as essential to rehabilitation and, like DrugBeat, have a clear record of success in actually getting people to go through their program drug free and actually helping them to stay drug-free. Despite this, I understand that none of these abstinence-based programs are set to receive state government funding next financial year. My questions are:

1. Are there any non-government organisations that provide abstinence-based drug rehabilitation programs which will receive funding from the government in the coming financial year?

2. Has there recently been a change of government policy as to the funding of abstinence-based drug rehabilitation programs such that funding will no longer be provided for any such programs?

3. What is the current government policy with regard to funding for abstinence-based drug rehabilitation programs provided by non-government organisations as distinct from funding for DASSA, which uses a harm-minimisation approach and in some cases does not even track its success rate?

4. What evidence does the government possess as to the merits or otherwise and the success rates of harm minimisation?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:54): I thank the member for his important questions and I will refer them on to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the Hon. Mr Hill from another place, and get an answer for you as soon as possible.

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