Drug Free Australia is a peak body, representing organizations and individuals who value the health and wellbeing of our nation. It plays a key role as a community voice, staying in touch with every day Australians - families and young people - via newsletters, community forums and the media, to ensure a clear message of healthy, drug free lifestyles is assured for generations to come.
Our goals are:
- To ensure that current, accurate illicit drug prevention messages are disseminated widely within our communities
- To support those who are alcohol and drug dependent to access pathways to recovery
- To conduct research into emerging AOD issues in order to ensure that primary prevention and recovery-based treatment options, are given top priority
From the Chair:
DFA Chairman, Craig Thompson emphasises that: “We need to re-focus our drug policy and practice on an approach that prioritises primary prevention, if we are to see any real change in the health and well-being of our current and future generations of young people”.
"We need to acknowledge that Australia has one of the highest rates of drug use, because of a priority on Harm Minimisation rather than Harm Prevention, and we now need to take a leaf out of the books of the policy makers in the UK and United States. Both these countries have given greater emphasis to prevention initiatives, while still aiming to help people who are drug dependent, to recover”.
A key issue:
Jo Baxter, Executive Officer, believes that “Drug education in schools needs to be revitalised and given higher priority, with effective, specialist resources, that are available beyond the short political funding cycles of three years or four years”.
"Schools play a crucial role in preventing drug problems when students bring drugs to school or use drugs at school. According to research, at least 50% of senior students in Australian school have tried cannabis and too many use ecstasy, and are not mindful of the potentially disastrous consequences".
Drug Free Australia will continue to strive for pro health alternatives to illicit drugs and to ensure that harm prevention is not only a household catch phrase, but a reality, put into good practice, throughout our country.