NSW Government To Hold Drug Summit, Invests AU$33.9M In New Regional Hubs
![Representation. A syringe and drugs.](https://d.ibtimes.com.au/en/full/1725086/representation-syringe-drugs.jpg?w=736&f=f9c2ac5072e7aab073e4e013884f159d)
Upholding the commitment made during the elections in 2023, NSW premier Chris Minns announced the state will resume the long-awaited drug summit in October this year.
The summit will be held over four days, beginning with a two-days regional forum in October, and the second half has been scheduled to be held on Dec 4-5 in Sydney, ABC News reported.
According to The Guardian, NSW government had announced a AU$33.9 million package to fund 12 new drug and alcohol hubs, which will be run by not-for-profits in regional and rural areas.
"We know that drug use impacts individuals, families and communities in many different ways. The drug summit will bring people together to find new ways forward to tackle this incredibly complex and difficult problem," Minns said.
NSW hosted a drug summit in 1999, when the state recorded the highest number of opioid-related deaths. Sydney's Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, the first supervised drug consumption facility in Australia, was the outcome of the summit.
The Labor Party had promised drug reform and reviving the summit during election campaign.
The government focus on drug reform is in the wake of an inquiry report by a Special Commission into the drug "ice," which recommended decriminalization of drug possession.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park stated that the summit would entail different views, including from health and non-health contexts and those have used illicit drugs. "This is an important conversation for us to have and it will be the first of its kind in a quarter century," Park said.
Drug reform advocates Uniting NSW, which ran the medically supervised injecting center, hoped this year's summit would emulate the 1999 forum, which made NSW a leader in drug reform.
The centre's director, Dr Marianne Jauncey, urged the government to act on evidence-based interventions in areas like drug-checking.
"Our current laws perpetuate stigma and create harm by driving people away from seeking and finding the support they need," she said.
Matt Noffs, CEO of the Ted Noffs Foundation, welcomed the government's move to focus on regional communities. He pointed out that the government should support the youth in the regional areas, who are struggling with methamphetamine abuse.
"Those regional areas are really struggling and they've got the least amount of resources. If you're going to ask me what the top thing is: youth crime, methamphetamine, regional areas. That's the top issue," Noffs stated.
He hoped the summit will bring a meaningful change, adding that it's time for action.
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