New life after drugs

MANILA, Philippines - Easter is a time for rebirth and redemption – concepts I have had cause to ponder over the Holy Week.

The drugs scourge has touched my family, as it has many others. A decade ago, one of my family member’s life spiralled out of control as drugs took their grip and turned him into someone we struggled to recognize as our loved one. His situation became so dire that the law eventually caught up with him and he ended up in prison. 

The incarceration of my relative was a devastating blow for my family, but in some ways it was a relief as he could get the help he desperately needed. It could easily have been the end of the road for him but, fortunately, it enabled him to get clean and to turn his life around.  

Like the Philippines, Australia is grappling with a drugs epidemic. According to Australia’s Health Minister, Greg Hunt, Australians are using methamphetamines (also known as ice or shabu) more than almost any other country, conservatively around 200,000 of our population of 23 million. There is no silver bullet to eradicate this insidious problem, but Australia is taking a multi-pronged approach.

International cooperation is a critical element. Last month, Australian police made their biggest ever meth bust, seizing over 900 kilograms of the drug with an estimated street value of $898 million. This was the result of painstaking investigation of organized crime syndicates, including through our overseas police networks. Seizures such as this disrupt the supply side of the drugs economy. 

Two Australians were arrested and, if convicted, could face life imprisonment. Effective application of tough laws is a potentially powerful disincentive to would-be drug traffickers. 

In the words of Health Minister Hunt, “we cannot simply arrest our way out of the ice problem – we must also work to reduce the demand for this drug.” Australia is addressing the demand side of the drugs industry through health, education, rehabilitation and community support programs.

The Australian government this month announced the establishment of 220 local drug action teams to develop locally focused responsive action plans to reduce the impact of drugs. The rise in drug addiction is particularly evident in regional and rural towns, where opportunities for youth are lower. The local teams will deliver health promotion, community-led education and mentoring, early intervention and prevention programs. See http://www.cracksintheice.org.au/ for more information.

Australia does not have all the answers to the drugs epidemic but the government is committed to addressing it through a comprehensive and appropriately funded policy framework with rehabilitation at its core. Australia and the Philippines can share best practices on rehabilitation services, drawing on the expertise of health professionals. We should not lose sight of the human beings who need our help.

My relative’s rehabilitation was a long, painful process involving personal strength and family, community and government commitment. It was also undoubtedly a cost to society, but arguably worth it, balanced against the approximately $8.9 billion estimated annual costs of drug addiction in Australia. 

In the darkest hours, I would have given him up as a lost cause, so I can fully appreciate and understand why some might take this view of drug users. I will happily admit that I was wrong. I shudder to think how differently it could have turned out if the system had similarly written my relative off as irredeemable. It worries me when I hear such sentiments expressed as I now know from personal experience that we should keep hope alive.

I have been reflecting on redemption and rebirth this week because my relative and his family spent Holy Week here with me here in the Philippines. This normal and enjoyable family celebration would have been unthinkable a decade ago, but, thankfully, there can be second chances in life for those given the opportunity, encouragement and support to seize them. 

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Amanda Gorely is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines. Follow her on Twitter @AusAmbPH