Redfern-Waterloo gets real on drugs

Harm minimisation, not condemnation – that is the message from the organisers of the What’s The Harm? drug and alcohol awareness week in Redfern.

Filling the void left by the absence of Drug Action Week after the defunding of the Alcohol and Other Drug Council of Australia, the Redfern and Waterloo Community Drug Action Team (CDAT) is working to publicise drug issues in the Redfern community.

“There is a desperate need for people in the Redfern-Waterloo community to understand drug and alcohol issues and what can be done to minimise the harm they cause,” said Brian Parker, a local public housing resident and the chair of CDAT.

“CDAT don’t condemn or condone it. We just try to put things in place to prevent harm.”

Ernie B, a former Redfern resident, opened up about drug and alcohol services for the community.

“How you quantify services for an addict is difficult. One of the big attractions of Alcoholics Anonymous, and one of its failings, is that it’s entirely voluntary.”

“The problem then becomes educating people on the value of harm minimisation.”

CDAT partnered with the Inner Sydney Regional Council for Social Development (ISRCSD), a community development organisation aimed at providing resources to the disability and aged care sectors, for the week’s events.

“Due to the high level of public housing properties (in Redfern-Waterloo), it means a bigger number of people from a lower socio-economic background live in the area, along with many people with mental health issues which is often accompanied by co-morbidity issues, i.e. drug and alcohol misuse,” said Charmaine Jones, Executive Officer for the ISRCSD.

Mr. Parker said that Superintendent Luke Freudenstein, commander of the Redfern Local Area Command, and his team were doing “a fantastic job”.

The week’s events saw a modest attendance of 18 for an emerging drug workshop, 28 at a debate on the legalisation of illicit substances, and approximately 200 at the Open Day.