The Hon Tony Abbott MP

Leader of the Opposition

Parliament House

Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Mr Abbott

With less than three weeks remaining to the Federal Election on Saturday 7 September 2013, I am writing to you on behalf of staff and clients of Therapeutic Communities in Australia, all of whom have a genuine concern about the outcome of this election and in particular, the alcohol and other drug policies that will be implemented should Opposition parties be elected. In these last weeks before the election, we are looking to you to demonstrate strong leadership, innovation and strategic direction in this debate.

As you would be aware, substance use knows no socio-economic or social boundaries and our constituents are therefore spread across Australia, in strongly held party seats and in many marginal electorates. While Therapeutic Communities most often work with people for whom substance use represents a significant problem, in the past twelve month period our members admitted more than 9,000 clients into residential treatment services, and a further 23,000 were helped through community-based outclient programs. Included in this number were over 200 children who entered treatment with a parent whose substance use had been recognised as causing significant problems to themselves and family members.

As the national peak body representing Therapeutic Communities throughout Australasia, our members are working with people in every Australian state and territory, in cities and rural areas, and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in urban and remote communities. The ATCA urges you to consider the following issues and to provide your response to the Australian community:

The annual cost of alcohol abuse to the Australian community is estimated at $36 billion. Individuals, families and whole communities are affected. The solution is not simple and will take action on a number of fronts – including changes to the taxation system through the introduction of a volumetric tax; action to reduce the number of alcohol outlets and the length of opening hours; and more funding committed to treatment and prevention.

Research shows that for every $1 invested in alcohol and other drug treatment, $7 is saved. It makes good economic sense to invest in treatment. If you are successful in forming Government, what would your Government be prepared to do to increase funding to further support treatment services?

How would your Government undertake and maintain drug policy reform? At least three Australians die every day from overdoses.Overdoses outnumbered road fatalities in Australia in 2011, overdose deaths totalled 1,383, while road deaths, which have been steadily declining, ended the year at 1,323.In Victoria,prescription drug-related deaths now outnumber those caused on the road, while deaths from opioid drugs are rising steadily, increasing by 95.8% between 2007 and 2010.

How would your Government increase support to harm minimisation services and initiatives?

Families are often the innocent victims of substance use. This includes the parents, siblings, partners and others in the person’s life and the children whose lives are affected by parental and family abuse. Families throughout Australia need to be assisted to deal with alcohol and other drug issues in away that strengthens relationships and achieves positive outcomes. This means funding a comprehensive demand reduction strategy that allows parents to enter treatment with their children and providing support services in the community for parents and family members.

Members of the ATCA provide valuable ground-breaking demand reduction treatment services for families – but too few are funded to a level which makes a continuing impact in the fight to break the intergenerational cycle of substance use. Would your Government increase funding toeducation and treatment, and promote improved outcomes for users, their families and the community?

Within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, alcohol abuse is not only a specific health problem in itself, but is also a major contributor to many other medical conditions. Substance use problems are simultaneously a health problem, a cause of further health problems, and a symptom of socio-political related problems. Punishment and imprisonment will not solve the issue. What would your Government, if elected, do to positively support prevention and treatment services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, ensuring that treatment, not imprisonment, is the response?

Other areas of concern raised by our members, and requiring urgent action include:

The use of alcohol and prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals particularly in relation to older persons and the need for education, support and treatment for this group.

The need for long-term investment in prison-based treatment services which also incorporate aftercare/transition program elements to increase the benefits of treatment and to ensure a reduction in recidivism as people move back into the community.

Growth funds for federal funded alcohol and other drug projects to cover increasing wages, increased superannuation, and increased cost of living.

Australia is spending more than a billion dollars each year fighting the ''war on drugs'' but has slashed funding for harm reduction. Currently two thirds of the $1.7 billion Australian state, territory and federal governments spend on problems associated with drug use goes on law enforcement. It is time for a shift in policy and a drastic readjustment in favour of treatment and harm reduction. Whilst law enforcement initiatives are important, so are demand reduction and harm reduction initiatives. The inequitable level of funding must be redressed through sound government policy that is reflected in the levels of funding attributed to all three pillars of the harm minimisation framework.

In the 2009-10 financial year, $1.1 billion was spent on law enforcement, compared with $361 million on treatment (21% of spending) and just $36 million on harm reduction. Will your Government, if elected to power, redress this balance? Will your government support both treatment and harm reduction measures, as well as a dramatically reassess funding priorities to address the problem at the prevention level, rather than waiting until after lives are affected and even ruined?

We urge you to show leadership in this area.

Yours sincerely

Dr Lynne Magor-Blatch

Executive Officer

20 August 2013

ATCA MEMBERS IN AUSTRALIA

New South Wales

The Buttery, Bangalow

The Lyndon Community, Orange and Canowindra

Odyssey House McGrath Foundation, Sydney

The Peppers, Wagga Wagga

Watershed, Wollongong

Ted Noffs Foundation, Sydney

The Salvation Army Recovery Services, Sydney, Central Coast and Blue Mountains

WHOS – (We Help Ourselves), Rozelle and Hunter Valley

Ngara Nura, Long Bay Correctional Centre (prison-based program)

Namatjira Haven Drug and Alcohol Healing Centre, Alstonville

ONE80TC, Baulkham Hills

Hope House, Batemans Bay

Victoria

The Windana Society, Pakenham

YSAS Birribi, Eltham

Odyssey House Victoria, Melbourne and Bendigo

The Basin – The Salvation Army, The Basin

Queensland

Logan House, Brisbane

Mareeba, Cairns

Mirikai, Gold Coast

Goldbridge Rehabilitation Services, Gold Coast

The Salvation Army Recovery Services, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Mt Isa

WHOS – (We Help Ourselves), Sunshine Coast

Fresh Hope, Toowoomba

Western Australia

Cyrenian House, Perth

Palmerston Farm – The Palmerston Association, Northbridge

Serenity Lodge, Rockingham

Yaandina, Roebourne

Northern Territory

Banyan House - Foster Foundation, Darwin

Drug and Alcohol Services Association, Alice Springs

BRAADAG, Tennant Creek

Australian Capital Territory

Karralika Programs Inc, Tuggeranong and Fadden

Solaris Therapeutic Community, Alexander Maconochie Centre (prison-based program)

The Salvation Army Recovery Services, Fyshwick

Ted Noffs Foundation, Watson

South Australia

Kuitpo - UnitingCare Wesley, Adelaide

The Woolshed, Ashbourne

Tasmania

Launceston City Mission, Evandale