Minister for Mental Health Jai Rowell today announced NSW Government funding for a suite of targeted, locally driven campaigns aimed at combatting problem drug and alcohol use in communities across the state.

Mr Rowell said he was pleased to be able to deliver $183,000 in NSW Government funding for Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) across NSW to back 62 local community-led alcohol and other drug prevention initiatives.

“Reducing alcohol fuelled violence in our towns and communities is a major challenge, and the locally-focussed projects developed by CDATs across NSW have done an outstanding job in tackling this issue,” Mr Rowell said.

“Sixty-two CDATs have been issued funding to help them prevent the alcohol and other drug issues their communities are facing. These grants are about building local solutions to local problems.”

Along with funding provided by the NSW Government CDATs attract an additional $263,000 in funding, community contributions and in-kind resource donations to support their work to prevent and reduce drug and alcohol harm.

A range of community awareness raising activities and events have been funded including:
A film project dealing with alcohol-related violence in Lachlan Shire,
A ‘Toughen Up’ fitness challenge in Inverell,
A program focussed on engaging Burundian and Sudanese communities in Newcastle,
Fourteen CDATs have combined their resources to extend the successful Sydney Northern Beaches CDAT campaign to communicate the health and legal risks of supplying alcohol to underage teens across the Hunter New England region, and;
Family fun-days, movie nights, sporting events, awareness campaigns and educations programs aimed at parents, young people and other community members.

The funding is provided by NSW Health through the Communication Engagement & Action Program (CEAP), with assistance from peak drug and alcohol body, the Australian Drug Foundation.

“The Australian Drug Foundation has proven experience working with communities to prevent and reduce alcohol and other drug misuse, and I’m pleased to see so many innovative local ideas already being developed,” Mr Rowell said.

“Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) are local groups of community members, volunteers, local business and welfare organisations, government and non-government agencies set up to raise awareness about alcohol and other drug issues in their communities.

“CDATs play a key role in empowering local communities to make grassroots changes which promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the risk of harm from alcohol and other drug problems.”