FED: States agree to new funding for drug programs

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-1999
FED: States agree to new funding for drug programs

CANBERRA, April 9 AAP - Federal, state and territory leaders today signed off on a new $220
million drug program which will force drug users into detox programs rather than through the
courts.

Prime Minister John Howard said the extra federal funding would pay for up to 300,000 drug
users to receive treatment for their addiction.

"It does represent a new approach," Mr Howard told reporters.

He said the four-year scheme was similar to the diversion schemes being trialled in
Victoria and New South Wales.

Mr Howard said the scheme would be available for people arrested for drug offences, but who
were judged as being unlikely to benefit from being sent to the courts or to jail.

"We believe that if we can, through this approach, divert a large number of those people
into treatment facilities, that will not only be of enormous long-term benefit to them but
also to the community," he said.

The money will be on top of the $290 million tough-on-drugs strategy already committed over
three years.

Other anti-drug measures agreed today include:

* states to develop stronger measures to fight drugs in schools.

* more efforts to stop the supply of drugs in prisons.

* a promise to fast-track the consideration of the detox drug Naltrexone for government
subsidies.

* stronger action to combat the drug supply in Australia.

AAP jg/mfh/was

KEYWORD: DRUGS PREMIERS

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