Ice Task Force

 
Ian Campbell
PP Rotary Club of Highton
0408082514
 
 
Dear Presidents.
The ICE fight in Geelong needs help from Rotary ! 
A Community ICE Action Group is proposed to be set up from interested Rotary members and friends. 
The Community ICE Action Group will initially focus on drug education, examine the strategies that are working, document and share these strategies.
 
Request for assistance.
Snr Sgt Tony Francis is Project Manager coordinating the Geelong regional ICE fight program. 
His Project Development Manager is Mr Peter Hester. 
They have requesting assistance to form a community based action group using Rotary members.
 
Tony Francis has maintained contact at all levels with local, State and Federal politicians. 
These representations have contributed to a significant increase in ICE funding from the Victorian Government and the Federal Government.
The funding however has predominantly been directed to drug detection, enforcement and addict treatment rather than to prevention.
ICE education recommendations have been ignored. 
The successful Northern Bay College drug intervention ‘Connect’ program has shown good success in re-engaging youth in school.
It is a holistic approach to developing self- esteem and personal responsibility through the Health Humanities and Social Sciences curriculum. 
There is an opportunity to develop this program into a model to promote ICE harm minimization in other schools.
There is a need for a community based approach to identify successful ICE prevention strategies, to develop them and to promote them to appropriate audiences. 
 
It is with this in mind that a Community Ice Action Group is proposed.
This group will consist of interested and suitably qualified individuals, initially from Rotary clubs or other community based organizations. 
 
The key objectives of the CIA Group are seen as:
  • To develop actions to achieve real change around drug education and addiction
  • To identify strategies that are working, and share these
  • To support the development of community based approaches to address the key education recommendations of the Vic Methamphetamine Inquiry of 2014 namely:
  • Support the development programs and resources for schools and school communities to support children at risk
  • Support evaluation of current generic school programs which provide information, resilience training and skills that empower young people with the aim of promoting the programs that have proven to have success in this area
  • Support relevant Victorian Alcohol and Other Drug agencies to provide information, particularly with regard to harm reduction of methamphetamine, which is delivered in innovative and creative ways that engage young people. 
  • Promote targeted education and information provision that matches user groups own specific needs eg:
  • Young people in schools who are at risk of using methamphetamine
  • Young people who are disconnected from schools
  • Young people in out-of-home care
 
Attached is a document containing more details of and background for the proposal   
 
Please circulate this request to your members. 
 
Interested persons should contact to find out more and to join the group.
PP Ian Campbell on 0408082514
20/1/16
 
Ian Campbell
Rotary Club of Highton
Mobile: 0408082514