Moorabool police, council and health services have joined forces to tackle local drug problems.
An information session will be held in Moorabool this month to help educate the community about drug use and its effects.
Moorabool police’s Leading Senior Constable James Ross will present the information session on May 28.
He said it was one of many initiatives under way to tackle the problems drugs cause in the community.
“We’ve got some ideas and some plans in place so we can tackle this problem, and it’s not just ice but other drug addiction, too,” he said.
Leading Senior Constable Ross said the session was open to everyone and would help clear up misconceptions about drugs and their use, and examine ways to help support families.
“We try to address the misconceptions and we are trying to educate and remind people of the rippling effect right through, not just the families but the communities.”
He said it was impossible to put a figure on how many people were affected by drugs, a problem that was not just one for youth.
“My opinion is that if we’ve got one person who’s a drug addict that’s one person too many,” he said.
With a local family drug support group already in place, a drug action group could be the next step, Leading Senior Constable Ross said.
He said the drug issue was local and needed to be dealt with locally.
“Every town is different, every town has different issues,” he said.
“You can’t generalise about drug addiction; you can’t generalise the problem.”
Leading Senior Constable Ross will meet with the council this week about applying for a state government Ice Community Education grant.
Up to $10,000 is available to help with education and other strategies to combat ice use in regional communities.
He also urged the Moorabool community to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 if people suspected any drug activity.
“Don’t be afraid; please contact Crime Stoppers. From a policing aspect, it can assist us,” he said.
The A Way Forward forum/information session will be at the town hall on Main Street, Bacchus Marsh, from 7.30pm to 9pm.
For more information or to ask a question, email james.ross@police.vic.gov.au
