At 25.7 per cent the North Coast had the highest percentage of illicit drug use by people aged 14 years and over in 2019 compared to 16.8 per cent across Australia and locals are calling to have one day of the NSW Drug Summit held in Lismore.
The multiday summit will comprise two days of regional forums in October and two days of forums in Sydney on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 December. The government have said that the Drug Summit will bring together medical experts, police, people with lived and living experience, drug user organisations, families, and other stakeholders to provide a range of perspectives and build consensus on the way NSW deals with drug use and harms.
‘We are particularly pleased to see a focus on the experiences, needs and voices of regional communities when it comes to this issue,’ Emma Maiden, General Manager External Relations and Advocacy at Uniting NSW.ACT told The Echo.
‘Lismore is a region that deserves a seat at the table. The people of Lismore and the surrounding regions are experiencing significant challenges since the floods of 2022, which have exacerbated existing issues such as mental health, precarious housing, and drug use.
‘This is a dynamic, diverse and strong community in active recovery who deserve to be able to share their stories and ideas for meaningful solutions as part of the 2024 Drug Summit.’
The call was echoed by other local advocates who have highlighted the impacts of the 2022 floods on the region and how the pressures post flood have increased drug use.
‘It is well documented that a traumatic event will exacerbate use, due to the individual self-medicating to try and cope with such an event,’ explained Tahlia Poulston, Coordinator, Disaster Recovery Support Service, Far North Coast Regions.
‘The Lismore Flood event of 2022 has exacerbated both personal drug use and homelessness. A drug summit in Lismore would highlight the area’s response to the floods and the need for more services in the area.’
Dash Boyce, Coordinator, Recovery Support Service agreed telling The Echo that, ‘through my work with Uniting’s Recovery Support Service, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact of the floods on our community in Lismore. The trauma and displacement have exacerbated preexisting issues, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive support.
‘Many of our clients struggle with addiction and maladaptive behaviours, and while current services offer some relief, there is a dire need for more resources. Hosting one of the days for the 2024 NSW Drug Summit in Lismore would be a powerful step towards providing the essential programs to support our most vulnerable community member.’
High drug use area
According to the ‘Healthy North Coast, Health Needs Assessment 2022-2025’ prepared by the North Coast Primary Health Network (PHN), the region has a ‘very high percentage of drug use in people aged 14 years and over, which is causing high levels of service use, hospitalisations and death.’ Added to this is the fact that people with alcohol and other drug (AOD) challenges said that it is difficult to access services.
‘There is already an established group of local leaders who represent community services, harm reduction, Council, faith, health and legal sectors. They are working together to campaign for more AOD (alcohol or other drugs) and harm reduction services for Lismore and they feel strongly that it should be considered as a location for one of the Drug Summit regional forums,’ said Emma.
‘This drug summit is a way of shining a spotlight on the issues not only in Lismore, but across all regional and rural communities.’
A spokesperson for MP Jeremy Buckingham told The Echo that he supports the call for the regional drug summit to be held in Lismore in October.
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