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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (25 March) . . Page.. 867 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

issues concerning drugs and concentrates on developing personal strategies to avoid taking drugs and to reduce harm associated with drug use, if and when this unfortunately occurs.

The Department of Education and Community Services actively supports the development of appropriate drug education curriculum materials. There is a health curriculum executive officer and a drug curriculum officer with the Curriculum Initiatives Section of my department. Both are involved in supporting drug education. Schools are also encouraged and supported to develop partnerships with teachers, students, parents, the broader school community, community organisations and health professionals to develop drug education programs.

Our government high schools and colleges have student management and behavioural policies which actively prohibit the use of alcohol and illegal drugs by students on school grounds and during school activities. These policies and procedures also set out actions to take if students transgress. Secondary colleges organise special activity days with a focus on the effects of drugs, including illegal drugs.

Mr Speaker, what this framework is designed to provide, what it adds to the effort already going on in drug education in ACT schools, is clear support and direction to ACT government school boards, principals, staff, students, parents and carers, and families on developing and implementing drug education programs. And I am currently looking at ways in which we can further strengthen our initiatives in drug education.

It is important to reiterate that no single approach can effectively address the diverse range of potential harm caused by misusing drugs. The draft drug education policy framework fits in with the overall ACT drug strategy, which aims to discourage students from taking drugs and reduce the uptake of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs; minimise the harm associated with drug use; identify and reduce the incidence of drug-related criminal activity; increase public knowledge and skills in relation to all drug use and its effect on the individual and the community and in relation to safer use of alcohol and other drugs; increase availability of resources and services that assist in reducing or minimising harm; promote and enhance drug education programs in schools and colleges and for young people who have left education; and provide a range of services, based on good practice, that aim to reduce drug-related harm, ensuring accessibility and appropriateness of service delivery to the key population groups identified in the national drug strategy.

Mr Speaker, I am confident that this framework will make a valuable contribution to the overall community response to the problems caused by the misuse of drugs. Its aims and its approach are consistent with other major initiatives and strategies. It has been designed by people who are expert in the field of drug education, with input from people who have real experience of the damage caused by drugs, including input from students themselves. Students themselves provided extremely valuable insights into the issues that needed to be addressed, and importantly insights into ways of giving information on drugs that are most likely to be taken on board by young people. Responsibility for

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