23 September 2022
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has cautiously welcomed the long-awaited response by the NSW Government to the 2020 Ice Inquiry Final Report, but stresses that more needs to be done to make NSW’s response evidence-based, health-focused and appropriately resourced.
Professor Adrian Dunlop, President of the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine says, “We’re pleased that the NSW Government has agreed to adopt 86 of the Inquiry’s recommendations, including the development of the much-needed NSW drug policy and additional funding to support the severely under-resourced and overstretched alcohol and other drug treatment sector and its workforce.
“This is a step in right direction to enable those who need it most to access treatment services and support, although it falls short of what’s needed to address the treatment gap.
“However, it is disappointing that more than 30 months after the Inquiry’s report clearly called for a health-based approach to drug policy, the Government’s response retains a strong criminal justice focus.
“The response doesn’t go far enough to ensure personal addiction issues are treated as health and social issues, not criminal ones. It also includes little detail on the timeframes to implement the supported recommendations and how the additional funding will be allocated.
“We have been calling for the Ice Inquiry’s report recommendations to be adopted in full, so the fact that the NSW Government’s response continues to reject proven harm reduction measures – such as the establishment of more injecting centres where needed, the piloting of syringe programs in jails, and the implementation of pill testing – is disappointing.
“We must first and foremost look at this problem through a health and social lens, rather than a criminal one.”
“As the organisation representing public health and addiction medicine specialists, we encourage both parties to commit to a health-based approach to drug policy in NSW. We welcome any progress towards effectively addressing drug harm in the community and look forward to further consultations on the implementation of the response,” said Professor Dunlop.