ORANGE has a drug withdrawal unit at Bloomfield to help people break free from drugs such as ice, however, beds are at a premium, with delays of up to three months for people seeking treatment.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lyndon Community deputy chief executive officer Julaine Allan (pictured) applauds Senator Jacqui Lambie for speaking out on the way her son’s ice addiction and his inability to access treatment has affected her family.
“I say good on her. But I do hope she won’t be judged for her parenting,” Dr Allan said.
“What has happened to her son can happen to anyone’s child.”
Dr Allan said the Lyndon unit in Orange, which has 15 beds and is only funded until June next year, receives 10 calls a day requesting a rehabilitation bed.
“People have to detox before they come in and at times it’s a juggling act because we have both male and female beds,” Dr Allan said.
Orange Legal Aid solicitor and advocate for people who have become addicted to drugs such as ice, Bob Lulham, says it is a constant challenge to find rehabilitation beds for clients who are before the courts after resorting to crime to fund their drug or alcohol addiction.
“There really is a great need for more beds in our area,” he said.
“A lot of people who become addicted to drugs find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system.”
Mr Lulham said magistrates were willing to release people from custody with a guarantee they went straight to a rehabilitation facility approved by the court, but finding a bed was often a frustrating process.
“Often there are just simply no beds and it all comes down to the amount of dollars spent on establishing rehabilitation centres,” he said.
Mr Lulham said, in his experience, magistrates in the region had noted a lack of services to help young people under the age of 18 to detox.
“There possibly needs to be more of a focus by Juvenile Justice and health [authorities] with respect to young people who are on their way to drug and alcohol addiction,” he said.
Dr Allan said one of the challenges faced by the Lyndon Community was the uncertainty in relation to funding.
“At this stage we are only funded until June next year, and this poses some challenges for us when it comes to staffing because people want some certainty,” she said.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au