Community News

Mandatory detox and rehabilitation for ice addicts

In his budget reply speech, Luke Foley, NSW Opposition Leader, announced that there will be six mandatory detoxification units in NSW four of them in located in Regional NSW. These will amount to 150 beds and attached to public hospitals at a cost of $100 million dollars. “Recognising the trauma this scourge is having on some families and communities in the Clarence Electorate, I welcome this announcement and will be working to make sure one of these clinics is on the North Coast,” Trent Gilbert, Country Labor candidate for Clarence said on Thursday. Originally these clinics will be for minors and then for adults. They will be staffed by specially trained nurses, health professionals and security guards. Referrals and admissions will be signed off by a magistrate and minors will be admitted with the approval of their parent or guardian. Luke Foley said “Ice is taking a heavy toll on our young people – especially in rural and regional communities – and I will not let it continue to go unchallenged” Walt Secord, Shadow Minister for Health, said “Labor has a health based therapeutic approach that will protect the community and provide individual addicts with the intensive treatment they need to recover from their addiction”. “I agree with them both”, Trent Gilbert said, and welcome the opportunity to move towards addressing this destructive problem.”