Communique

February 2008

As part of its commitment to provide high level advice to government, the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) — which is the principal advisory body to government on drug and alcohol issues auspices the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC) to specifically provide advice on Indigenous drug and alcohol issues across Australia and the most appropriate and effective approaches to address them.

NIDAC comprises members from non-government and government organisations with specialist expertise and knowledge in dealing with Indigenous drug and alcohol issues.

Valuable feedback from people working to address Indigenous drug and alcohol is also gained through community consultation across Australia.

At its February 2008 meeting in Adelaide, South Australia, NIDAC experts discussed the following:

NIDAC welcomes the Australian Government’s apology to Indigenous Australians as a significant step towards healing and reconciliation.
NIDAC recognises that addressing alcohol misuse is an urgent priority and is of major concern to all tiers of government, those working in health, family and law sectors and the community.
NIDAC noted concerns raised by Indigenous communities over signs prominently posted outside where they live. The alcohol and pornography restrictions displayed on the signs are part of the Northern Territory Intervention. Community members advised NIDAC that they were concerned the signs display a disturbing impression for children and visitors.
NIDAC continues to provide advice on the alcohol and other drug interventions in the Northern Territory.
For alcohol misuse in Indigenous communities to be effectively reduced, NIDAC discussed essential elements needed to strength alcohol control initiatives:
- Indigenous community involvement in the consultation, development of local programs and practices, community development initiatives, including partnerships with police, law enforcement, health services,
- The national collection of consistent alcohol sales and consumption data across governments to better inform relevant policy and services
- Evidence based policies and practices for all alcohol and other drug supply reduction, harm reduction, demand reduction and treatment initiatives, particularly those focussing on Indigenous Australians;
- Consideration of the social impact and implications of alcohol legislation when introduced in Indigenous communities.
NIDAC recognises and supports the additional funding for remote communities but also recognises that significant funding is also required for urban and regional Indigenous areas, where the majority of the Indigenous population live.
NIDAC welcomes the success of OPAL unleaded fuel in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The initiative has seen a substantial reduction in petrol sniffing amongst youth, creating a window of opportunity to provide future pathways for youth.

New NIDAC Activities

NIDAC will be participating in the National Indigenous Health Summit on Indigenous Health Equality, 18–20 March 2008.
Developing an Alcohol Position paper.
Developing an Action Plan for 2008–2009.
Developing an effective model that can maximise community consultation, which will include an online survey.
Recommencing discussions with the Australian Institute of Petroleum to gain their support of follow-up programs to maintain the diversion of youth petrol sniffing.

Ongoing NIDAC Activities

A national competition for Indigenous youth to design a NIDAC logo. The competition has generated interest from Indigenous communities in remote, regional and urban areas of Australia including prisons, schools, youth services, community radio stations and overseas.
NIDAC has commissioned the National Drug Research Institute to conduct the NIDAC project to identify the areas and gaps of greatest need in Indigenous alcohol and drug treatment and services.
Development of a National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference for 2009 to showcase best practices and knowledge in addressing Indigenous alcohol and drug problems.
Development of a new NIDAC website to be launched in June 2008.
Continuing to provide advice to Department of Health & Ageing and the Department of Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs on the Northern Territory emergency response intervention and other Indigenous AOD issues.
Continuing to work with government to improve relevant, robust and accessible data and research on Indigenous drug and alcohol use and harms.

Recently Completed NIDAC Activities

Provided advice to the development of the ANCD project Indigenous Injecting Drug Use amongst Indigenous Australians.
Provided advice to the Australian Government’s 2020 Summit on Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion, on alcohol controls and supply reduction.
The NIDAC Strategic Plan for 2007–2010 will soon be available to stakeholders on http://www.nidac.org.au

More information on NIDAC is available by accessing the ANCD website: www.ancd.org.au or by contacting the NIDAC Secretariat: 02 6166 9604