The NSW Government has today received the Drug Summit report from Co-Chairs, Carmel Tebbutt and John Brogden AM, which makes 56 recommendations.
The Drug Summit delivered on an election commitment from the Minns Labor Government to bring together those with lived and living experience, frontline workers and experts in addiction and illicit drug use.
The summit heard from more than 400 participants and received 3,600 written submissions, over four days across metropolitan Sydney, Griffith and Lismore.
“It sought to reflect the many different parts of our community touched by this challenge – healthcare, justice, housing, social services and those disproportionately impacted by illicit drugs,” said NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park.
“Not everyone agreed on everything, but we sought to have every voice listened to.
“I want to thank the Co-Chairs John Brogden and Carmel Tebbutt for their tireless efforts in facilitating discussion and reporting on it.”
The report has made 56 recommendations across key areas including prevention, early intervention, community support, stigma, workforce and reform, including:
- The service system: Access, integration and design;
- Funding models;
- Prevention and early intervention;
- Information and education;
- Family and community support;
- Youth-specific services;
- Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing and cultural safety;
- Workforce;
- Stigma and discrimination;
- Cannabis and driving;
- Harm reduction;
- The criminal justice system and policing.
“Some of these priorities are longstanding. Others are new, reflecting changes in the health and social environment over the last 25 years and with an eye to the future,” the report co-chairs said in a statement.
“None were possible without the discussions and deliberations at the summit, particularly the contributions of people with a lived and living experience who shared their stories. We are grateful to all participants for every recommendation, and we particularly acknowledge those providing services on a daily basis.
“The sheer breadth and number of recommendations requires us to identify priorities. In doing so we have chosen actions that we ask the Government act on swiftly. We consider the priorities selected – and where needed the funding, policy and legislation required – can be commenced or fully actioned over the next one to two years.
“Lastly, we believe that these priorities will change and improve the lives of many citizens of NSW. The government’s response and implementation will be measurable across many areas. To this end we ask the Government to report progress against our priorities transparently.”
Minister Park said the Government will now carefully consider these findings and respond in due course.
The 52-page report of the Drug Summit Co-Chairs is available here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/summit/Pages/default.aspx​.
