Qld: Beattie denies slashing anti drug education programs

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2000
Qld: Beattie denies slashing anti drug education programs

BRISBANE, Feb 1 AAP - Premier Peter Beattie has denied the state government has slashed
funding to anti-drug education programs in Queensland schools.

The opposition today condemned a state government decision to dump a $1.4 million Life
Education anti-drug program in 700 schools.

Liberal leader David Watson said 30 schools in the high-crime, high-drug use electorates
of Woodridge and Bundamba, both due to go to the polls on Saturday, had participated in
the Life Education program.

"I can't understand how the Labor Government can spend $200 million on a super stadium
and millions more on drug courts but can't find $500,000 to keep Life Education going
in Queensland," Dr Watson said.

However, Mr Beattie said the government had stopped funding drug programs that didn't work.

Instead, drug education was being incorporated into the daily school curriculum through
health and physical education courses, he said.

"If some of the older approaches had worked then we would not have the drug problem
that we've got in communities across Australia," he told a news conference.

"If you single it (drug education) out, you run it in a way that could lead young children
to be tempted to try drugs."

Mr Beattie said the Queensland government was spending record amounts on anti-drug programs.

But Alcohol and Drug Foundation chief executive Bob Aldred said the Beattie government
had effectively expelled drug education from Queensland schools.

A survey in 1996 found 50 per cent of Queensland's Year 12 students had used marijuana
and 10 per cent had used hard drugs.

The Life Education program was established in 1979 by Reverend Ted Noffs at Sydney's
Wayside Chapel.

It is now internationally recognised and is being used throughout Australia and in
the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The program was launched in Queensland in 1997 and 150,000 students have attended the
anti-drug courses since then.

AAP bja/geb/bar/de

KEYWORD: DRUGS QLD NIGHTLEAD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.