Labor takes action on ice
The State Opposition says it will craft a Statewide methamphetamine action plan, a week after Collie MP Mick Murray went public with the plight of dealing with his daughter Bree's 15-year addiction to the drug.
Labor will reach out to 100 stakeholders in the new year to seek input and advice on how best to develop the plan to stem the flow of the drug and provide better support.
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said WA, which has the nation's highest rate of amphetamine use at 3.8 per cent, had no whole-of-government strategy to tackle the increasing use of the drug.
Mr McGowan said the supply of base ingredients such as pseudoephedrine needed to be limited and teenagers needed to learn that using the drug was "uncool".
Mr Murray said he had been overwhelmed with letters from families dealing with similar issues since Ms Murray, who is in Bandyup Women's Prison awaiting trial on drug charges, was arrested.
"It's an insidious drug that knows no social barrier," he said.
"For far too long my family accepted what was going on and thought that we could manage it. But you can't manage it yourself."
Acting Mental Health Minister Peter Collier said there was already a comprehensive cross-government strategy - the Drug and Alcohol Interagency Strategic Framework 2011-15 - in place.
He said the recently released draft WA Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drug Services Plan 2015-2025, which is out for public consultation, did acknowledge a need for prevention and treatment services to meet future needs.
