Western Australian Alcohol and Drug Interagency Strategy 2018-2022

The Western Australian Alcohol and Drug Interagency Strategy 2018-2022
(WAADIS) is Western Australia’s key policy document that outlines strategies to prevent and reduce the adverse impacts of AOD in Western Australia. WAADIS operates under the national framework of supply, demand and harm reduction and is underpinned by two core elements: first and foremost a focus on prevention and early intervention; and secondly, on providing support for those who need it.

The key strategic areas of WAADIS are:

• Focusing on prevention - Educating and providing supportive environments for individuals, families and communities to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to choose healthy lifestyles and demand healthy environments.
• Intervening before problems become entrenched – Implementing a range of programs and services that identify individuals, families and communities at-risk and intervening before problems become entrenched.
• Effective law enforcement approaches - Minimising the supply of illicit drugs, reducing and controlling the availability of AOD and implementing strategies that promote diversion to treatment and aim to prevent or break the cycle of offending associated with AOD use.
• Effective treatment and support services - Providing integrated, evidence-based treatment and support services that promote positive and healthy lifestyle changes by effectively responding to an individual’s AOD use and those affected by someone else’s use.
• Strategic coordination and capacity building - Providing improved and targeted responses to AOD problems through capacity building, workforce development, collaboration, evidence-based and informed practice, monitoring, review and information dissemination.

Although WAADIS applies to all Western Australians, evidence suggests that some population groups experience greater impacts from AOD use than others and therefore require additional support. These priority target groups include:
Aboriginal people and communities, children and young people, people with
co-occurring mental health and AOD problems, people in rural and remote areas including fly in/fly out and drive in/drive out workers, families including AOD using parents and those interacting with the Justice and corrections systems. The priority drugs of concern listed in WAADIS include alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamines and heroin and other opioids.

The implementation of WAADIS is supported by the Drug and Alcohol Strategic Senior Officer’s Group (DASSOG), which consists of senior representatives from the main human and social service State Government departments including the: Department of Communities; Department of Education; Department of Health; Department of Justice; Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries; Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety; Department of the Premier and Cabinet; Mental Health Commission; Road Safety Commission, School Curriculum and Standards Authority and Western Australia Police Force.

DASSOG’s terms of reference have now also been expanded to include the monitoring of implementation of the State Government’s Response to the Western Australian Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce Report (Full Response), and initiatives related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD).