A SURVEY of Griffith and district residents revealed 85 per cent of people believe illegal drug use is a problem.
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But only 58 per cent of respondents believed alcohol was an issue in the district.
The survey was conducted by Griffith’s Community Drug Action Team (CDAT) using a grant from the Australian Drug Foundation.
CDAT member Peta Dummett said 284 people completed the survey.
She said 40 per cent of respondents believed many problems in the community were a direct result of drug and alcohol use.
The survey also revealed people believe it is easy to access both alcohol and drugs, family and relationship problems were often associated with drug and alcohol use and 18 per cent believed there needed to be changes made to the measures imposed on licensed venues.
More than half of the respondents said they drink every day, consuming an average of three drinks.
Most people said they drink to be social with family and friends, it relaxes them or they have a drink with a meal. There were 16 people who said they took illegal drugs because it relaxed them.
Meanwhile, Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has welcomed a determination by the federal government to confront the growing use of the drug ice.
“Ice has become a scourge on society, particularly in regional areas,” Mr McCormack said.
“With reports of users as young as 10, even in the local area, something has to be done.”
Mr McCormack’s comments follow the announcement of his parliamentary predecessor, Kay Hull, as the new chair of the government’s advisory council on drugs and alcohol, the Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drugs (ANACAD).
“The reshaped council will examine the issues many communities face with methamphetamine use, especially ice,” Mr McCormack said.
“Ice is a challenge in many regional and rural communities, including the Riverina,” he said.
“I look forward to working with the council on strategies the community can take to help stop the widespread devastation and destruction ice has on users, many of whom are young people.”
CDAT member and Griffith councillor Pat Cox said CDAT was aware anecdotally of the impact ice was having on individuals and families.
“As a community we need to work collaboratively to educate people of the effects of this horrible drug and prevent individuals from icing ice,” she said.