| Professor Jim Rankin, Northern Rivers Area Health Service senior staff specialist in D&A, was at the NSW State's historic drug summit in May. Originally planning to attend for just three days, he found himself unable to leave as the week progressed.
"I do think it is reasonable to say politically, there were people who went there with a strong existing condition for no change. On the other hand, clearly people who came with a conservative point of view changed their thinking. They saw what we have wasn't working."
The week's output was good, he says. It is now a question of what the Government does with it, but he does not think it can avoid a significant increase in funds.
"We need to work out ways of more equitably distributing resources and we will have to attend to the issue of keeping people out of the criminal justice system."
Premier Bob Carr emphasised the drug problem should be seen primarily as a health and social issue. From the GP point of view, the summit reinforced the concept that the ultimate solution is community based in consultation with key contributors, with the role of the GP of primary importance.
Prevention was another key area delegates agreed on, and GPs are also integral to this. Dollar wise, prevention is the cheapest option, Prof Rankin says, with intensive drug treatment costing significantly more, and keeping a person in prison more again. For every dollar spent on health, the return is $7. This compares with a zero return for every dollar spent on legal options, illustrating the need to keep people out of and divert them from the criminal justice system.
On the issue of medically supervised safe injecting rooms, Prof Rankin says this is only seen as a solution in places where drug use is chronically high and there is strong community support, such as Kings Cross. The chance of safe injecting rooms coming to rural areas is "zilch" as there is not sufficient need. However, he does acknowledge the problems rural areas confront, including the provision of adequate services on funding about half that of metropolitan areas.
The conference moved away from the zero tolerance model of the US, coming out against increasing the use of the law in dealing with the drug problem. Instead, it was in favour of policies consistent with abstinence and harm minimisation
"Irrespective of what the government does, I think it was a unique event in the history of parliament," Prof Rankin said.
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