Alcohol and drug related harm

This theme addresses the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody’s (RCIADIC) urgent call to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs to Aboriginal people and communities. RCIADIC emphasised the need for community-led strategies for change, finding substance misuse to be both a symptom and driver of systemic disadvantage. Calls are also made for the decriminalisation of public intoxication and develop effective non-custodial responses, and the discriminatory nature of liquor laws to be considered. In response to the harm caused by use of alcohol and other drugs, RCIADIC found a need for investment in culturally safe prevention, early intervention, workforce development, and stronger coordination across services, as well as Aboriginal-led research and data collection.

Significant progress has occurred in some areas, including decriminalisation of public drunkenness—to be replaced by a health-based model in Victoria, and the expansion of Aboriginal-led health promotion. Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) continue to remain underfunded for the provision of these services, with limited investment in holistic models of care. There also remain significant gaps in data considering the effectiveness of different measures.

The AJC has called for full implementation of a health-based approach to public intoxication that prioritises cultural safety and local control. Despite this, discriminatory exclusion from venues continues, and appeal mechanisms remain difficult to access without legal support. There is a noted focus in this theme on the impacts of specific substances in remote Aboriginal communities. However, whilst these specific recommendations may be less suited to the Victorian context, the impacts of and strategies for addressing substance abuse remains highly relevant.