It’s all too common these days. In our newspapers, on talk back radio and television - in fact, with just about any one you speak to, there is a sad story of devastated lives because of drug abuse.

Now we discover that our icons (and role models to our youth) – the top football players of the AFL and NRL are right in the thick of taking some of the most damaging drugs. Drug Free Australia Executive Officer, Jo Baxter wants to put the blame where it really belongs.

‘Football Clubs and their players are just victims of a larger, inadequate drug policy in Australia that has tended to soften the messages of the real danger of illicit drugs”.

How did it get this bad? How did we get to a point where, according to recent research, Australia’s drug addiction rates have exceed those of the United States?

For example:

• 1 in 3 families are impacted by illicit drug use
• 30% Australians admitted to having a drug problem compared to 6.5% of Americans
• Majority of illicit drug use is cannabis – a gateway to amphetamines and ICE
• Australia has an amphetamine use rate 20 times higher than Sweden (which was once a country with high levels of drug use)

For years, we have accepted a campaign of ‘Harm Minimisation’, and for years, the trends have worsened.

We have allowed terms to be bandied around such as ‘recreational drugs’. Such terms have become synonymous with the so-called ‘soft’ drugs (ie. cannabis or the ‘party drugs’ ecstasy and ICE). All of these have been identified in current research as being far from harmless, and likely to cause serious mental health problems.

Congratulations to the NRL which has been quick to take a strong stand to protect their players and the quality of the game. Effectively one warning and then some tough penalties – a real wake up call!

State governments need to get serious about Harm Prevention. We need a much greater focus on education and community awareness campaigns. Drug Free Australia fully supports this stance.