National programs and services
There are a range of national alcohol and drug programs and services available, including:
National Drugs Campaign
The National Drugs Campaign (Department of Health and Ageing) contains useful information for parents families, young people, communities, service providers and the media. Resources include practical tips for parents on how to talk to young people about drugs. These resources are available in 17 languages. The National Drugs Campaign is an Australian Government initiative.
Save a mate
The Australian Red Cross Save-A-Mate (SAM) program has been operating since late 1999 to prevent and reduce the harms associated with substance use, particularly among young people. The program focuses specifically on the potential emergencies that may arise as a result of alcohol and other drug use, eg. overdose, collapse, fitting, vomiting and unconsciousness.
The program is based on the fact that the majority of alcohol and other drug emergencies are witnessed by someone else and further to that immediate and effective intervention would greatly increase the rate of survival for the casualty.
The SAM program offers a number of different services:
Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) specific first-aid training, including accredited CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) courses.
These one day (5-6 hours) courses provide information on substances and their effects, how emergencies occur, how to recognise a potential emergency and how to respond to them including accredited CPR training. The courses are available to the public and can be modified to meet the specific needs of different groups.
Pubs, Clubs and Venues
The Pubs, Clubs and Venues initiative is designed to address the growing issue of first-aid emergencies occurring in the 'nightlife' setting as a result of Alcohol and Other Drug use. This initiative is for staff, owners and patrons of pubs, clubs and venues and seeks to raise awareness of the potential for emergencies and how they occur as well as training groups with the skills to prevent and manage an overdose or other emergency.
Peer Educators
The SAM Peer Education program strives to provide opportunities for young people to educate their peers on issues relating to alcohol and other drug use in a variety of settings including schools, youth events and festivals.
(Courtesy of Australian Red Cross Save-A-Mate)