National Drug Strategy
National Drug Strategy

Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy Joint Communique 20 May 2004

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The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy (MCDS), the peak national policy and decision-making body for licit and illicit drugs, met in Sydney today to consider national licit and illicit drug matters.

The Council comprises the Australian Government and State and Territory Ministers with a responsibility for drug policy including Health and Law Enforcement Ministers, Justice and Police Ministers, and the Australian Government Education Minister. Today’s meeting was chaired by the New South Wales Special Minister of State, the Hon John Della Bosca MLC.

Issues discussed by the Ministers included:

The Redevelopment of the National Drug Strategy:

Ministers endorsed the new National Drug Strategy 2004-2009 that will take effect from 1 July 2004. The Strategy builds on the achievements and successes of its predecessor the National Drug Strategic Framework 1998-99 to 2003-04. It reflects the key elements such as the objectives, priorities and supporting advisory structures, which were endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy in November 2003.

While Ministers endorsed harm minimisation as the Australian approach, they also stressed that harm minimisation does not condone drug use. They emphasised the importance
of defining that harm minimisation encompasses supply reduction strategies, demand reduction strategies and harm reduction strategies.

Representatives of the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs and members of the Australian National Council on Drugs worked in partnership to develop the Strategy. A public consultation process on the document was undertaken throughout March and early April 2004.

Review of the Self-regulatory System for Alcohol Advertising:

Ministers endorsed the report produced by the National Committee for the Review of Alcohol Advertising (NCRAA). The report was prepared for MCDS on the implementation of the recommendations endorsed in August 2003 on the review of the self-regulatory system for alcohol advertising.

Some key outcomes of the review included:

The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy will continue to monitor the operation of the Code.

National Drug Strategy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Complementary Action Plan:

Ministers noted the wide dissemination of the Complementary Action Plan and the current high level tasks and activities associated with implementing the Plan in all States and Territories. The implementation of the Plan has been identified as a priority under the new National Drug Strategy.

Correctional Services Responses to Drug Use:

Ministers noted that the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs (IGCD)will examine the issues raised in the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) report Supply, Demand and Harm Reduction Strategies in Australian Prisons: Implementation, Cost and Evaluation and agreed to refer the report to the next meeting of the Corrective Services Ministers’ Conference in June 2004 for consideration and advice and an invitation to form a Senior Officers’ working party with IGCD and ANCD.

National Strategy on Precursors:

Ministers noted a progress report by the National Working Group on the Diversion of Precursor Chemicals on the development of a national approach to the decontamination of clandestine laboratories. The manufacture of drugs in these laboratories is a chemical process and therefore results in the production of by-products that can be toxic to humans and the environment.

Ministers agreed that there are serious concerns about children being found at such drug laboratories and agreed that consideration of the adoption of a Model Criminal Code aggravated offence for child endangerment in illicit drug laboratories be referred to the Model Criminal Code Officers’ Committee.

National Approach to Inhalant Abuse:

Ministers noted the progress made to date by the National Inhalant Abuse Taskforce in relation to a national approach to inhalant abuse. This taskforce will consider all forms of inhalant abuse including petrol sniffing, chroming and inhalation of other volatile substances such as butane gas. The Australian Government agreed to provide funding of $291,000 for research to be conducted by CSIRO to investigate the feasibility of adding a bittering agent to substances often used as inhalants which would discourage use. The Council also agreed that the Chair would write to media outlets asking for their cooperation in not displaying images of inhalant abuse.

Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs:

Ministers discussed the findings of the Working Party on Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs). The ten recommendations made by the Working Party were discussed as well as the proposed budgets for components of the overall strategy. The Australian Government agreed to provide funding of $440,000 for three of the recommendations.

These include:

The IGCD will examine the remaining recommendations of the Working Party.

Sale of Alcohol to Minors:

Ministers noted the paper prepared by the National Expert Advisory Committee on Alcohol Interventions to Reduce Underage Drinking and requested that a task force be established to prepare a further report for the November 2004 meeting providing interventions to reduce underage drinking. The report will outline mechanisms to inform parents on the need to monitor alcohol consumption levels by their adolescents.

Alcohol without Liquid:

Ministers expressed concern about a new product that has recently emerged which vaporises alcohol so it can be inhaled (the Alcohol without Liquid device). This device has been reported as a ‘new craze’ overseas.

Critics in the UK have stated that inhaling alcohol not only results in rapid intoxication but also increases the risk of direct alcohol damage to the brain. It can also do irreversible damage to the nerves, leading to swelling and possibly lead to dementia in the long term. Ministers requested that relevant State/Territory government authorities review their legislation with a view to banning this product and asked the IGCD to report on progress at the next meeting of MCDS in November.

Anti-Smoking Health Warnings in Cinemas:

The ACT reported that tobacco used in popular youth oriented movies has increased by 50% since 1998. This exposure to smoking on screen has been found to normalise and glamorise smoking for young people. Ministers discussed screening anti-smoking advertisements in cinemas prior to screening movies that depict smoking and referred this proposal to the IGCD for the establishment of a working group that will report back to MCDS in November 2004.

2004-05 Cost Shared Funding Model Projects:

Ministers agreed to resource two new projects funded on a cost shared basis between the Commonwealth and all States and Territories. The approved projects all have significant national focus and cross jurisdictional benefits and address the priorities under the National Drug Strategy in terms of harm, supply and demand reduction and prevention. A review of the level of funding for the out years of the Cost Shared Funding Model will also be undertaken and a report will be provided to Ministers in twelve months.

National Pharmacotherapy Policy:

Ministers noted the launch of the National Pharmacotherapy Policy for People Dependent on Opioids available nationally from today. The Policy was prepared to provide a broad policy context and a framework for State and Territory policies and guidelines that are concerned with the treatment of heroin dependence with methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. It complements the clinical guidelines developed for general practitioners to effectively provide ongoing methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone treatments as part of a comprehensive treatment program for people dependent on opioids.

Media contact: Kay McNiece, Media Adviser, MCDS phone: 0412 132 585

Page currency, Latest update: 20 May, 2004