Transcript Slide 1

Alcohol harm and Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander People
Ted Wilkes
www.ndri.curtin.edu.au
Aboriginal Australians harmful use of alcohol is
directly related to disadvantage/ poverty.
To diminish poverty is to diminish the harmful
effects of alcohol and drugs in Aboriginal
Australia
We drink to medicate to escape to be happy
Nevertheless we can do much given
government support and understanding.
Aboriginal Australians need a separate
Aboriginal Drug Strategy
Such a strategy must be appropriately
aligned to other relevant strategies.
The scourge that is harmful use of alcohol by
our mob is Australia wide.
There is a need for greater consultation
about how to resource and support local and
family clans/groups but we must recognise
that not one size fits all.
An Aboriginal Community Controlled ATODPrimary Health Care centred model for the
provision of services needs to be negotiated
between service providers and Governments
The model needs to be supported by
improved service planning, organisational
and community development and
consolidated funding allocated on the basis
of need
There is a need to diminish the link between
harmful use of alcohol and other drugs and
the atrocious criminal justice statistics for
Aboriginal Australians.
Aboriginal Australians require a Justice
Reinvestment strategy to compliment the
National Drug Strategy and the Aboriginal
Drug Strategy
Aboriginal Australians require a National
body to oversee the National Drug Strategy
and the Aboriginal Drug Strategy
The National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol
Committee NIDAC or a stronger version of
NIDAC should be that body