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Who we are:
Drug Free Australia (DFA) represents a ‘community voice’ and peak body, for organizations and individuals who value the good health and wellbeing of all people in our communities. We stay in touch with ‘everyday’ Australians and share the latest research findings via website, email, e-bulletin, community presentations, zoom and social media. Formed in 2002 from a grassroots community base of concerned parents, medical practitioners, educational and law enforcement professionals, DFA has built a membership and affiliate base comprising more than 2000 organisations and individuals.
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We value input from individuals, families, young people, older Australians, politicians and community leaders and are inclusive in terms of ethnic and religious backgrounds. We prioritise our communications with politicians at all levels of government and this year have made an unprecedented push comprising letters and submissions to all states and territory governments. Topics such as the harms of cannabis and the increase in vaping have become a priority. Overview from the Chair |
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This year, I want to pay tribute to our dedicated board members who give freely of their time and skills to promote our message widely. We are, in many ways, ‘punching above our weight’, with many volunteer hours being spent connecting with community groups, giving presentations and lobbying politicians of all persuasions. Increasingly this is also being done via zoom.
Rotary has become a strong partner and two of our Board members are now on the International Board of the Rotary Action Group, Addiction Prevention, representing Oceania.
Our dedicated researchers engage with medical specialists and psychiatrists, to bring us the latest information on drug harms, particularly cannabis. The work of Dr Stuart Reece, a Fellow of Drug Free Australia and Professor Gary Hulse is now being acknowledged internationally with regard to genotoxicity of cannabis and its negative intergenerational impacts on families.
We have a strong focus on education that is helping to change the narrative and reduce demand for drugs, especially for our teens – whose brain is still developing and most vulnerable. We want to continue to: - expand our initiatives within communities, via social media; and in particular presentations to sports clubs, Rotary and women’s groups, both face to face and via zoom. In so doing we plan to engage Youth Advisors who can be our ambassadors in this domain. To date, we have engaged a youth adviser who is a University student, studying neuro science.
- promote prevention education in schools including the DAESY program, Teen Challenge, No Brainer, Drug Free Kids and our own Save Your Brain online offering geared to primary, middle and senior school students and their families. Our Rotary partnership will be a positive vehicle in this regard.
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As we witnessed last year, the push for the ‘normalisation’ of drugs and legalization continues to gain momentum. We continue to strive to find ways to gain additional resources to combat this unhealthy, dangerous clamour for ill-gotten wealth – the losers are our children and their families. The tsunami of harm continues in the form of youth upheaval, violence and road carnage. We are forming strong alliances with other not for profit groups both within Australia and globally. - As part of the Rotary Action Group – Addiction Prevention three of our board members were actively involved in the International Rotary Convention in Melbourne in May. We formed some new alliances including ‘Don’t Meth With Us, from the United States; and at our Book Launch at the Novotel South Wharf, where Elaine Walters OAM signed her new book – ‘Street Drugs – The New Addiction Industry’.
- A presentation was also made at the South Australian Rotary Expo at the University of Adelaide in June.
- As DFA Executive Director continues as a member of the World Federation Against Drugs Nomination Committee and a Special Adviser to WFAD.
- Two of DFA’s board have been appointed Coordinating Team Members for Oceania in the new One Voice, One Message – Communities for Drug Free Lifestyles. The website was launched on 26 June 2023, to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking.
We are also linking with the Schools Ministry Group in South Australia to promote educational resources in middle schools |
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None of this could be achieved without the ongoing support of our affiliates and generous funding opportunities offered by MTAS. We are most thankful and want to continue to work hard, to make inroads into drug prevention and demand reduction. Our motto is: ‘Onward and Upward’, to achieve as much as we can together. Our kids are worth it! |
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KA 1 - Towards Healthier Schools Project Update |
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For the past SIX years, Drug Free Australia’s ‘Towards Healthier School Communities’ Project has been aiming to build more prevention-focussed content into schools’ Health and Physical Education programs. The aim being to reduce demand for drugs in the youth population.
Through the project we have been able to both promote and financially support some of the programs that DFA has researched as being those that focus on ’prevention of drug use’ as a priority. We do this through direct financial sponsorship of some programs in order to give schools a ‘taster’ of what is being offered in their schools. This has proved successful with many schools opting for repeat sessions. In addition, these programs are promoted in our E- Bulletin that reaches over 2000 recipients.
The following programs and resources that have been promoted both in the E-bulletin and on our SaveYourBrain website include:
- The DAESY program, which follows up with the offer of books by Kerryn Redpath which describe her early experience with drugs and the lessons to be passed on to young people
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- WCTU’s Drug Free Kids program,
- Dalgarno’s ‘No Brainer’ resources,
- SideEffect – a program delivered in Western Australia
- The promotion of books such as ‘Golden Haze’, the story of Jade Lewis and her encounter with drugs in her teens, that robbed her of her chances to become an Olympic Sprinter and ‘Anna’s Story’, where 15 year old Anna died of ONE ecstasy pill at a Rave party, due to an allergic reaction to MDMA
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- The launch of Elaine Walters OAM’s new expose on the Addiction Industry and its circulation to communities, school libraries and health centres via Rotary Clubs, together with a copy being sent to politicians in Federal and State Parliaments.
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The ‘Towards Healthier Schools’ project is now due to move into its 7th Year.
We are pleased to report that our SaveYourBrain website has had some positive feedback. Teachers like flexibility so that they can choose aspects that match their class needs. They also like the vaping information. This has led to enquiries about presenters on this topic and we have directed them to Teen Challenge Tasmania. They do zoom and face to face sessions, as well as professional development for teachers. |
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The modules are aligned with the Australian Curriculum, where appropriate. |
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Towards Healthier Schools Project – Phase 7 goals are to: - Continue, to regularly update Save Your Brain modules for Year levels 5-12. This will ensure that the resource remains relevant. We want to add zoom sessions to schools to help them more effectively navigate the website for their individual student and parent cohorts.
- Expand the offering of book resources to schools, particularly in regard to those mentioned above. We find that teachers and libraries are always looking for new resources. With Rotary on board, we hope to do this at a lower cost.
- Continue to promote culturally sensitive drug prevention education to rural and remote communities. While the online pedagogy is verysuitable for this target group, it is also important to provide hard copy, for those who have little access to reliable internet. Through RAG AP, we now have access to several First Nations school communities, particularly in South Australia. We have also a volunteer teacher who can adapt existing resources to meet the cultural needs of these communities and will work together with RAG AP to achieve this.
- Continue to subsidise NEW schools that seek to trial prevention focused Alcohol and Drug Education, using our Preferred Providers.
- Consolidate ongoing feedback and evaluation
- Students, under teacher’s guidance are invited to send in additional role plays/scenarios: For example: Students invited to
send in videos or written scenarios (real or imagined) where they
have been challenged or bullied into doing something they are
uncomfortable with. - They include a solution as to how they navigated out of the situation. Some may to an alternative ending, where they go down the path of succumbing to peer pressure and describe the possible negative outcome.
- Changes will be made to modules, based on the feedback and material supplied.
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KA 2 - Website development and expansion - www.drugfree.org.au
The Drug Free Australia website continued to have current material added during 2022-23, thanks to the initiatives and some sponsorship from Board Member, Herschel Baker. People appear to be using both this and the Save Your Brain site simultaneously, for educational research as they are linked.
The news portal is updated regularly, and where possible.
The monthly e-bulletins are circulated to at least 2000 recipients and are placed on the website in the Resource portal.
KA 3 - Government Submissions, Meetings and Briefs
DFA has continued to be proactive in sending correspondence and evidence-based information to both state and Federal parliaments on matters of concern. In addiction numerous formal submissions on key issues have been made through the combined efforts of directors Gary Christian and Herschel Baker, backed by evidence-based references.
Topics have included changes in the Tobacco legislation in Queensland; changes in the state Diversion Programs and the weaking of the deterrent to use drugs by young people, by removing penalties for the first 2-3 warnings. Other subjects covered related to ‘medicinal cannabis’; science related to the harms of cannabis including at least 27 cancers; cannabis and driving – the dangers; cannabis products, including food. Some of these subjects have been covered in two or more submissions. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has also been called to account for their lack of transparency in policy and regulation. Mr Christian has also presented to Parliamentary Inquiries including that impact of changing police powers. There is also an upcoming opportunity to appear to give evidence in a South Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into relaxing medicinal cannabis laws. The distribution of Elaiine Walters’ book – Street Drugs, the New Addiction Industry will invite additional meetings with politicians over the next 12 months.
KA 4 - Media liaison
On a regular basis, DFA has been both proactive and reactive in the media this However, the uptake has been extraordinarily poor. We utilised existing funding carefully, and engaged Medianet at a rate of up to $700 per release. DFA had checked this rate and it was one of the best in the current market for media distribution. However, we were surprised and disappointed that the uptake was minimal. We have endeavoured to research other options and have made contact with a professional media organisation to get our message out there. They are working on a plan for a campaign which will follow through with media outlets after a release is done, to ensure greater interest from recipients. Their plan will be provided by early July. With the credentials they have presented so far, we expect to have a greater opportunity to penetrate both mainstream and social media plus radio, with Community Service Announcements about drug use prevention.
Major topics continue to include Vaping, Medical Marijuana and driving, sanctioning Pill Testing, Cannabis Legalisation (including push for increased use of hemp and CBD products); the decriminalisation and legalisation of other illicit drugs; the big push to reduce the deterrent impact of law enforcement in the drug arena. |
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KA 5 - Research via Expert Advisers and DFA Fellows
We have continued to work closely with Professor/Dr Stuart Reece in his research on cannabis harms and were able to notify the media and communities about the findings, which are quite disturbing. This work will continue in years to come. DFA has published regular circulars to all politicians in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Federally to give them prior knowledge of upcoming trends being pushed by the drug legalization lobbies. Mr Christian has also taken the lead in providing research to public inquiries and to presenting to political and community audiences. Members have also made regular presentations to Rotary Clubs in South Australia on topics including vaping, medicinal cannabis and the Rotary Action Group – Addiction Prevention.
KA 6 - Australian and International liaison to update research.
Internationally, DFA continues to be involved in the World Federation Against Drugs and now, has very regular interaction with the global Rotary Action Group – Addiction prevention. At the recent Rotary International Conference held in Melbourne, DFA and affiliate were able to showcase their resources at a booth in the ‘House of Friendship’ at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. DFA also hosted a launch of Elaine Walters new book, ‘Street Drugs- The New Addiction Industry’ where over 70 participants heard about RAG AP and DFA’s partnership with Rotary which was enabling wide distribution of the book to politicians and communities Australia wide. DFA remains an active member of the Taskforce 4 Drug Prevention comprising DFA, DACA/Touchstone, Dalgarno, WCTU and Teen Challenge Tasmania. The plan is to develop combined projects that will have more political influence in some areas, than singular bodies. We also retain membership of the One Voice, One Message – supporting communities for a drug free lifestyle.
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