THE national ice taskforce will reportedly recommend drug treatment and education over drug policing to deal with the problem.
FORMER Victoria Police commissioner Ken Lay and taskforce chair will advise the federal government this week to focus on the ice scourge as a health problem rather than a law and order issue, the Courier-Mail reports.
His assessment differs from that of former prime minister Tony Abbott, who saw the problem as a criminal matter and allocated $1 million for a national hotline encouraging people to “dob in a dealer”.The newspaper also says Mr Abbott rejected the advice of an earlier Parliamentary Library report on ice, which said drug treatment was more cost-effective than drug policing.”These studies have consistently shown better outcomes and treatment is more cost-effective than incarceration,” the report said.
REPORT: HOW AUSTRALIA SHOULD DEAL WITH THE SCOURGE OF ICE:
– Communities find their own solutions, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach
– A national education campaign to explain the devastating effects of the drug
– Better links between local services and government agencies for addicts who need help
– Extra counselling and intervention resources
– More help for frontline workers facing violence from addicts
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Finally – a change in course on drug policy
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