Australian
National Council on Drugs
ref:
March 98 Heroinsight
Background Information
What is the Australian National Council on
Drugs?
The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD)
is a high-level advisory body announced by the Prime
Minister in November 1997 to deal with both licit
and illicit drugs. It has broad representation,
including from volunteer and community organisations,
and law enforcement and health and social welfare
interests. The ANCD will bring to the national effort
to combat drugs the specialised knowledge and expertise
of volunteer and community organisations and others
working in the field. Its first priority is to advise
on the development and implementation of the National
Illicit Drug Strategy. The Chairman of the ANCD
is Major Brian Watters, Director of the Salvation
Army's Rehabilitation Services. The Deputy Chairman
is Commissioner Mick Palmer of the Australian Federal
Police.
What
is the National Illicit Drug Strategy?
The National Illicit Drug Strategy (NIDS) was announced
by the Prime Minister on 2 November 1997, with the
Tough on Drugs package as a first instalment. The
NIDS makes a concerted attack on both the supply
of and demand for illicit drugs and balances efforts
to intercept drug traffickers while boosting education,
treatment and research. The NIDS is being carried
forward by the Commonwealth/State Ministerial Council
on Drug Strategy (MCDS) and will be developed, implemented
and evaluated with advance from the newly established
ANCD. The NIDS is the next major phase of the National
Drug Strategy.
What
is the National Drug Strategy?
The National Drug Strategy (NDS), formerly the National
Campaign Against Drug Abuse, commenced in 1985 following
a special Premiers' Conference. From its inception,
the NDS recognised the importance of addressing,
in an integrated fashion, the misuse of both licit
and illicit drugs and of achieving a balance between
demand reduction and supply control measures in
order to minimise the harmful effects of drugs on
Australian society. Professor Eric Single and Professor
Timothy Rohl were commissioned by the MCDS to evaluate
the most recent phase of the NDS (i.e. 1993-97)
and reported in April 1997 (The National Drug Strategy:
Mapping the future). A significant finding of the
report was that non-government organisations with
specialised knowledge and expertise had played too
small a role in policy and program development.
What
is the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy?
The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy (MCDS),
which is comprised of health and law enforcement
ministers from each Australian jurisdiction, has
primary responsibility for national policy formulation
relating to licit and illicit drugs and for the
implementation of the National Drug Strategy Framework.
The MCDS has been requested by heads of government
to report on the development and implementation
of the first instalment of the NIDS.
What
is the National Drug Strategy Framework 1998 to
2002?
The National Drug Strategy (NDS) will be re-named
the National Drug Strategy Framework 1998-2002.
It will take into account the evaluation of the
NDS and be accompanied by a five-year action plan.
The Chairman of the NDS Committee has circulated
a draft discussion document on the National Drug
Strategy Framework 1998-2002 to MCDS Ministers for
clearance out of session which will (if endorsed)
form the basis for public consultations.
What
are the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy National
Expert Advisory Committees?
The MCDS National Expert Advisory Committees will
provide expert advice to MCDS Ministers via the
ANCD and the Inter- Governmental Committee on Drugs
on specific substances (illicit drugs, alcohol,
tobacco and pharmaceuticals) or issues (drug education).
What
is the Inter-Government Committee on Drugs?
The existing National Drug Strategy Committee (NDSC)
will be replaced by an Inter-Governmental Committee
on Drugs (IGCD). Members of the IGCD will be appointed
by health and law enforcement Ministers in each
jurisdiction and will comprise senior officers representing
health and law enforcement from the Commonwealth,
States and Territory governments. Representatives
from education or corrective services can be co-opted
as appropriate.
Membership
Chairman
Major Brian Watters, Salvation Army (Director of
the South-Eastern Region)
Deputy
Chairman
Commissioner Mick Palmer AO APM, Australian Federal
Police
Members
Professor Wayne Hall, Executive Director, National
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), Prince
of Wales Hospital; Professor of Drug and Alcohol
Studies, University of New South Wales
Mr
Wesley Noffs, Executive Manager, The Ted Noffs Foundation,
Sydney
Associate
Professor Margaret Hamilton, Director, Turning Point
Alcohol and Drug Service, Victoria; Member of Alcohol
Expert Advisory Committee
Mr
Tony Trimingham, Damien Trimingham Foundation/Family
Drug Support
Ms
Jude Byrne, immediate past President, Australian
Intravenous League
Mr
Scott Wilson, Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council
(SA) Inc
Mr
Karyn Hart, Australian Secondary Principals Association;
Schools Drug Advisory Committee
Mr
Arthur Toon, immediate past President, WA Network
of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies
Professor
Ian Webster AO, President, Alcohol and Other Drugs
Council of Australia
Mr
Graham Strathearn, Chair, National Drug Strategy
Committee, as nominated by Dr Wooldridge ù Dr Robert
Ali, Chair of the National Methadone Committee,
as nominated by Dr Wooldridge
Chair
of the National Advisory Committee on Schools Drug
Education, as nominated by Dr Wooldridge (not yet
finalised)
Mr
Craig Thompson, Magistrate, Bankstown Local Court
Ms
Sue Kerr, Assistant Secretary, National Health Promotion
and Protection Branch, Department of Health and
Family Services; ex- official Departmental representative.
