Victoria’s worsening drugs crisis

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report, released this week, has confirmed Victoria under Daniel Andrews has lost control of the state’s drugs crisis, says Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy.

The alarming report highlights:

• Victoria had the highest estimated average regional consumption of Ice, with consumption increasing approximately 45 per cent between December 2018 and April 2019;
• The use of cocaine in capital city Victoria increased sharply and rose above the national average in the current reporting period;
• Oxycodone, a prescription pharmaceutical drug with abuse potential, had elevated consumption levels at several sites, noticeably across regional Victoria; and,
• Heroin use in Australia occurs largely in the capital cities, especially Victoria, however use in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia have been on the decline since the start of the wastewater monitoring program.

The report follows recent Crime Statistics Agency data which details drug crimes continue to skyrocket under the Andrews Labor Government, while budget constraints have put a freeze on the failed Ice Action Plan and cuts to essential support programs, like Community Ice Action grants.

In March 2015, Premier Daniel Andrews said of the $200 million Ice Action Plan, “it is important that we are really frank with the Victorian community and acknowledge this drug has got away from us and we need to redouble our efforts”.

This latest wastewater drug monitoring report shows Daniel Andrews and Labor have failed.

Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy

Daniel Andrews’ only plan to tackle Ice use in Victoria is to build and mismanage an injecting room in suburban Richmond, while ignoring real help to reduce the harm across the state, particularly in regional Victoria.

Under Labor, we have a crisis in availability and resourcing of rehabilitation options which means Victorians genuinely seeking help to get clean are being told they’ll have to wait months to access rehabilitation.

Daniel Andrews and Labor spent more than $200 million on their failed Ice Action Plan and for the results to go backwards so significantly just shows how careless and irresponsible this Labor Government is.

Please download this press release as a PDF