Media Statements - Government's Drug Aware campaign will focus on amphetamines and hallucinogenic drugs

18/11/99

STIMULANTS CAMPAIGN

Amphetamine type stimulants and hallucinogenic drugs will be the focus of the next phase of the State Government’s Drug Aware public education campaign.

The new campaign was announced in the WA Strategy Against Drug Abuse Action Plan 1999–2001 released today by the Minister responsible for WA Drug Abuse Strategy, Rhonda Parker.

It will be the fourth major public Drug Aware education campaign conducted by the WA Drug Abuse Strategy Office and the Public Health Division of the Health Department.

The other campaigns have focused on heroin and marijuana and on each parent’s knowledge and communication skills relating to drug abuse issues.

The Drug Aware campaigns have achieved very high rates of recognition and credibility with both parents and young people.

Mrs Parker, and Health Minister John Day said the campaign would focus on amphetamines, LSD, and ecstasy.

“Our aim is to decrease the attractiveness of amphetamine type stimulants and to decrease the likelihood of their use and/or experimentation with those drugs among young people,” Mrs Parker said.

“We want to increase young people’s awareness of the social and health consequences of using these drugs, as there has been little public education about them to date.

“There are also other factors supporting the need for this type of campaign. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is likely to be an increase in the international supply of both amphetamine and cocaine in the near future and that poly drug use is the norm among young people who get caught up with these type of drugs.”

Mr Day said the campaign would primarily target 14 to 24-year-olds and include 16 to 24-year-old regular users of these drugs.

“The campaign messages will include the negative social consequences including loss of control, friends, respect and breakdown of family and work relationships,” he said.

“They will also highlight the short-term health consequences of anxiety, nausea, aggression and vulnerability to violence or harm.

“The approach will dispel the myths and improve understanding of illicit substances and their effects on the body and mind.

“While young people have a high level of awareness of a wide variety of illicit drugs, their perception of the effects associated with these drugs indicates that they do not know what harms they may be exposing themselves to when they are considering using them.”

Media Contact : Owen Cole: 9481 7810
Mark Thompson: 9213 6600