Indigenous Issues

NSW Government Links

NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs
Talking about Grog
Talking About Grog was a one day forum to give Aboriginal people an opportunity to discuss the particular issues relating to Aboriginal people and alcohol and to identify strategies which were taken to the NSW Summit on Alcohol Abuse. The Talking about Grog forum was on the 25 August 2003.

Community Builders. NSW
Working Together in Strengthening Rural Communities
A case study from a forum that brought together country mayors, Aboriginal leaders, business people, community representatives and Senior Government officials to work throu the complex social problems being experienced in Western NSW communities. This conclusion calls upon government agencies and communities to work together to identify and implement sustainable solutions. One of the central themes of this forum was substance abuse in Western NSW communities.

Other Links

Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (SA) Inc (ADAC)
Website
This website provides information about projects and also contains resource materials.

Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA)
Submission to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy
This links to a submission by Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council. ADCA intend this document as a framework on which to base health policy and programs. It covers such areas as the role of ADCA, the impact of alcohol and other drugs on Indigenous communities, a National Indigenous Substance Misuse Strategy and comments on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy.

Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet
Summary of alcohol use among Indigenous people
A review of substance misuse among Indigenous Australians written by Dennis Gray and Sherry Saggers. 

Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD)
Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Projects
This is a report on the first of a two-phase project commissioned by the ANCD. The project aims to identify the number and nature of programs which are specifically targeted at Indigenous people who are experiencing drug and alcohol problems.(11.8Mb pdf file)
Cape York Indigenous Issues
Report based upon a recent visit to the Cape York region by members of the ANCD. This report provides an opportunity for the collective experience of ANCD members in alcohol, drug and Indigenous issues to be brought forward such that they may be used to assist the Queensland Government, and others, in their consideration of the issues facing this Region and indeed many other communities. 2001.
Diversion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island youth from juvenile detention
An increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island (ATSI) youth (ie under 18 years of age) are being placed within juvenile detention centres (or the equivalent). Firstly, this project aims to identify the number and proportion of ATSI youth being detained, including the number for alcohol and other drug related crimes. Secondly, the project will identify available options for diversion of ATSI youth into alcohol and other drug treatment programs, if any, in each Australian jurisdiction. 2002
Rural and Regional: Alcohol and Other Drugs Consultation Forums
This report is a report of the ANCD consultation forums that examined drug and alcohol issues being experienced in rural and regional Australia. It outlines the main themes and issues that arose from the forums for the alcohol and other drugs sector. It highlights the issues and themes that arose from the consultation forums.

The Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS)
Website
This links to the CAAPS website which is a family and community-based substance misuse service that provides prevention, treatment and aftercare services.

Indigenous Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Databases
Database
Extremely valuable resource from the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI). This database contains references to items on Indigenous Australian substance use.

National Drug Strategy
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Complementary Action Plan 2003 - 2006
This Action Plan was endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy on 1 August 2003 to help provide a nationally co-ordinated and integrated approach to reduce drug-related harm among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. The Action Plan was prepared by the National Drug Strategy Reference Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with the help and support of Siggins Miller Consultants. The Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs, the Australian National Council on Drugs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in every State and Territory, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and a broad range of other key stakeholders contributed to its drafting.

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
National Recommendations for the Clinical Management of Alcohol-Related Problems in Indigenous Primary Care Settings
These recommendations are an outcome of the Substance Misuse Program Review. They were consensually derived to assist primary care practitioners with decisions about the management of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who present in primary care settings with alcohol related problems.
Review of the Commonwealth's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Substance Misuse Program
This report, produced in December 1999, provides a review of Australian Government funded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander substance misuse programs. The methodology included site visits, submissions, literature review and research. The report incorporates priorities for future action.

Queensland Government
Meeting Challenges, Making Choices: The Queensland Government’s response to the Cape York Justice Study. April 2002
This report identifies a range of reforms to address the alcohol and violence issues afflicting Indigenous communities in Queensland.
Rural and Remote Festivals: A Guide for Health Workers and Communities
A practice guide for workers conducting alcohol, tobacco and other drug health promotion strategies to support remote Indigenous festivals.  2003 (524Kb pdf file)

Victorian Government
Alcohol and other drug use by Australian Indigenous people: A snapshot
Factsheet. May 2004
The Koori Alcohol and Drug Action Plan 2003-04
This paper reports on the development of a Koori-specific drug strategy within the Victorian Drug Initiative. The paper provides an overview of the major drug issues and developments within the existing funding arrangements for Koori alcohol and drug programs. It also discusses new initiatives that have been developed. September 2003