Help make tackling the Drugs Crisis a Political Priority Demand that the new Government commit to:
Full time Minister with responsibility for Drugs
Work with the community in tackling the drugs crisis
Reverse the cuts & fully fund local drugs services
Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign is a national network of community
activists and community organisations across the country involved in responding to the drugs crisis. CityWide works to promote and support a community development approach to the problems caused by drugs & alcohol – this means involving the people who are most affected by the problem in dealing with the problem – drug users, their families and communities.
Why should the problems caused by drugs and alcohol be a political priority?
Without doubt, problem alcohol & drug use continues to wreak havoc in communities across the country. Individual lives are destroyed, families are torn apart and communities live in fear. But over the past few years we have seen less and less genuine committment from government to tackle the drugs crisis.
It is time to put tackling the drugs crisis back on the political agenda! It is time to make the drugs crisis a priority for politicians!
There is no magic wand to wave to make the drugs crisis go away. The problems caused by drugs (including alcohol) in communities are massive, the responses our communities have developed need to be supported and built upon.
We are demanding that any new government commits the energy and resources necessary to adequately address the drugs crisis. Front line services alone cannot solve the problems caused by drug use. In addition to services, communities must be given the resources and supports to address the underlying causes of the drugs crisis. It requires all of those involved in responding to the problems caused by drug use to work together. This includes those most affected by the problem – communities, drug users and their families.
The new government must work with those communities devastated by the drugs crisis to build stronger community supports to tackle the crisis. The incoming government must appointment a full time Minister with sole responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy. Local drug projects must have the recent budget cuts reversed. These projects should be fully funded so they can carry out the work they were set up to do.
You have a voice – you have a vote – Use it on February 25th!
