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Budget 1999-2000
FACT SHEET
AN EXTRA $19.8 MILLION TO FIGHT DRUGS IN SCHOOL
This additional funding responds to the supportive role of parents and
the community and reflects the Government’s strong commitment to drug education in
schools. Additional funding - to the $7.5 million over three years announced in the last
Budget - totalling $19.8 million over four years will be provided for two complementary
measures bringing the total funding for drug education initiatives in schools to $27.3
million as part of the National Illicit Drug Strategy, Tough On Drugs, for which
total funding is now over $500 million.
- Enhancement of the National School Drug Education Strategy
- An additional $10.5 million will extend the National School Drug Education Strategy as a
preventative measure for drug misuse by young people. This will bring total funding for
the Strategy to approximately $18 million over five years, commencing in 1998-99.
- Funding will enhance and build on school drug education initiatives already in place in
States and Territories and will target:
- professional development of teachers in the area of drug education;
- information and education of parents on drug matters; and
- projects representing school and community partnerships including new ways of delivering
drug education and information on healthy lifestyles.
- National Protocols for Drugs in Schools
- At the Council of Australian Governments meeting on 9 April 1999, Heads of
Government agreed to strengthen their attack on drug pushers and drug use within schools.
This was part of a general agreement on the need for national action involving explicit
rejection by governments of the use of illicit drugs and the harm this use causes.
- Commonwealth funding to the Portfolio of $9.3 million over four years will provide
resources to increase the capacity of schools and school communities to respond to illicit
drug use. Measures include:
- development of enhanced National protocols to help school communities find better ways
of handling drug use in the school community;
- educational material for schools and building school and community awareness and
involvement in addressing drug problems; and
- resource material to all schools for the design of local summits to strengthen the
response of schools and the communities to the challenge of drugs.
Media Release
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