The Week was not about condemning or condoning drug use but about harm reduction. As the Redfern Waterloo CDAT Secretary, Charmaine Jones, explains: “Harm reduction is about accepting that people will engage in risky behaviours and how you lessen the harm, whether that’s harm at an individual level, a family level or a whole community level.”
Issues such as binge drinking, alcohol-fuelled violence, steroid use, prescription drug abuse, recreational drug use through to ice (crystal methamphetamine) were addressed during events to both educate and bring the community together.
Despite some events being overshadowed by the funeral of Bishop John McIntyre (held at St Saviour’s Anglican Church on June 17), CDAT Chairperson Brian Parker was very happy with the outcomes. Having made contact with over 300 members of the community it was “extraordinarily successful for the first one because it’s got people talking”.
Run by local volunteers and agencies such as community groups and organisations, local police, the City of Sydney, housing and health services, CDAT works to reduce the impact of drugs and alcohol in the community through promoting education, awareness and harm reduction strategies.
The recently installed community sharps bins have been a great success in reducing the harm caused by disregarded needles. In May alone, the six bins collected 3,290 needles that were used for both prescription and illicit purposes.
“Where the needles come from is none of our concern”, said the Executive Officer of The Factory Community Centre, Michael Shreenan. “We are just pleased that these sharps can be collected and discarded safely.”
Brian Parker commended all those who were part of making the Week possible, in particular Charmaine Jones and Michael Shreenan. “They don’t just do the job because they get paid, but because their heart and soul is in it,” Mr Parker said. He also called upon other agencies and organisations to connect with their local CDAT and support it “because we work better as a team”.
“This is just the start of what is to come,” Mr Parker said.
