Don’t ‘demonise’ addicts: See the multimillion dollar investment to help tackle addiction

The number of drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds in an SA regional city is set to double following an investment into tackling the “cycle of addiction”.

After promising big in the lead up to the election, the state government has announced part of its big South-East health spend is coming soon, which includes doubling the amount of rehabilitation beds in a SA regional city.

Mount Gambier will soon have access to 12 community drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds in the city — designed to prevent patients “getting bogged down in the ED”.

Initially promising four new beds to the community facility a spokeswoman for Health Minister Chris Picton said Labor was now able provide an additional two beds.

The doubled capacity, from six to 12, will be available from July.

SA Drug and Alcohol Services Network executive officer Michael White welcomed the news and said it was an important step in reducing the barriers to help that exist in regional communities.

SA Drug and Alcohol Services Network executive officer Michael White

“One of the challenges is people want to go into treatment, but there’s not capacity and so they get sent away,” he said.

“In that couple of weeks, they lose the motivation to change or something happens in their life that shifts their motivation.

“Often they’ll drop out so you won’t hear from them again.”

Health Minister Chris Picton. Picture: Emma Brasier

Health Minister Chris Picton said the government was investing heavily to combat the “cycle of addiction”.

“The impacts of drug and alcohol addiction are devastating for families and communities,” he said.

Independent MP Troy Bell has been a fierce advocate for the region’s struggling health system and praised the government’s investment.

“Any strengthening of our drug and alcohol treatment sector is welcome and it’s essential for Limestone Coast residents to be able to access the treatment they need close to home,” Mr Bell said.

SA Drug and Alcohol Services Network executive officer Michael White said demonising drug users doesn’t help them. Picture: File

Mr White said reducing the stigma around drug and alcohol abuse was much more effective than “demonising” users.

“The way that drug and alcohol use is conceptualised in the media is — if it’s problematic, it’s usually the result of an individual’s moral or personal failure,” he said.

“When alcohol and drug users are stigmatised as being reprehensible in some way. Then people who have a problem often don‘t identify as having a problem.”

Mr White said the next step was for improved integration between support services and detox facilities.

“We know that they‘re planned but what we would like to see is a better integration of detox and withdrawal with these new beds,” he said.

“So that the majority of people don’t have to come to Adelaide.”