Policy

In response to the findings of the National Ice Taskforce, the Commonwealth Government has developed a comprehensive package to combat ice across key areas.

Programs

• The Drug and Alcohol Program provides funding to a range of Drug and Alcohol treatment, prevention and national leadership activities. This includes significant funding to a wide range of treatment services across Australia, as well as some of the highest performing drug and alcohol research institutes in the country. Funding is provided through open, competitive funding rounds, targeted grants and unsolicited proposals.
• The COAG Mental Health Improved Services Initiative funds alcohol and other drug (AOD) services to build their capacity to manage and treat people with co-occurring AOD problems and mental illness (comorbidity).
• The National Psychostimulants Initiative focused on addressing the problems caused by the increased availability and use of psychostimulants.
• Supporting measures for Needle and Syringe Programs (NSPs) comprise two streams:
  • increased education, counselling and referral services provided through community based programs and
  • diversification of NSPs (ie increase the accessibility of NSPs through pharmacies and other outlets and provide information and training support.

Related publications

• New Horizons: The review of alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia
• The Study of Patient Pathways in Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment
• Evaluation of the Cape York Wellbeing Centres
• Comorbidity treatment service model evaluation
• Guidelines on the management of co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings - a practical guide for alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers in the management of a range of mental health conditions in AOD treatment settings.
• Models of intervention and care for psychostimulant users - monograph series no 51
• Management of patients with psychostimulant use problems: guidelines for general practitioners
• Psychostimulants - management of acute behavioural disturbances guidelines for police services
• Management of patients with psychostimulant toxicity: guidelines for emergency departments
• Management of patients with psychostimulant toxicity: guidelines for ambulance services
• A brief cognitive behavioural intervention for regular amphetamine users - a treatment guide
• A review of enablers and barriers of Indigenous drug users accessing needle and syringe programs – a report for the COAG Multilateral Group on Needle and Syringe Programs
• Clinical guidelines and procedures for the use of methadone in the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence
  • Full report
  • Abbreviated version
• Review of methadone treatment in Australia
• Comorbid mental disorders and substance use disorders: epidemiology, prevention and treatment
• Sniffing
  • Sniffing and the brain
  • When boys and men sniff
  • When girls and women sniff
• Volatile substance misuse: a review of interventions: monograph series no. 65