Areas Covered by the BRDAP

Welcome

In June 2007, the Minister for Mental Health Lisa Neville announced funding for Councils in the Barwon Primary Care Forum (PCF) catchment area to achieve the following objectives:

• Identify local issues and establish a regional plan reflecting key priority issues from the different Local Government Areas (LGAs).
• Work in partnership to establish active committee/s addressing alcohol and other drugs challenges in their local communities.
• Plan and implement activities that address key issues identified at a community level.
• Enhance research focused on evidence based harm minimisation approaches to which try to develop clear outcome measures.
• Address key priorities including liquor licensing, the misuse of alcohol (including under age drinking) and isolated communities such as drought affected farmers.
• Strengthen networks and information sharing.

Harm Minimisation

At the core of the Barwon Regional Drug Action Plan is the principle of Harm Minimisation. This principle focuses on the need to minimise the harm sometimes associated with drug and alcohol use. The three core elements of Harm Minimisation are:

• Supply Reduction
• Demand Reduction
• Harm Reduction

Harm Minimisation is a national policy and the key concept underpinning the current National Drug Strategy.

Harm Minimisation does not condone drug use but recognises that:

• Despite efforts to prevent use, a proportion of the population will continue to use.
• Psychoactive drug use is not risk free.

Australia's drug strategy, based on harm minimisation, is working to reduce drug-related harm to all Australians.

For more information on Harm Minimisation is available on the drug info website.