LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
SALE Football-Netball Club and Maffra Football-Netball Club jointly would like to express dismay and disappointment in the editing of the front page article with headline ‘Local ice problem is ‘getting worse’‘.
We are in full support of the topic of the article itself as it is relevant with what is happening in today’s society.
We are also concerned about its effects within our local community, and it was pleasing to read that police have been receiving reports from the community and arrests are being made.
This is an extremely serious problem that is not going away and more needs to be done in the form of education and awareness, counselling, treatment and resources for law enforcement.
Our dismay and disappointment relates to the editing of the article, or lack of, with the comments from Alan Harris “it becomes a cultural thing, more than one person takes it and it spreads and spreads and spreads, and you see a couple of the footy clubs around here and you see a couple of the people around town and it’s just getting worse”.
We acknowledge Mr Harris has not named a specific club, but how can the editor allow such a comment go to print?
That single line “and you see a couple of the footy clubs around here” tarnishes the reputation of all clubs and the people involved with them in the local surrounding area.
It is suggesting that football and netball clubs are playing a crucial role in the spreading of the drug ice, and this accusation and assumption is outrageous and should not have been allowed to be printed in the newspaper, let alone on the front page.
Clubs are only as strong and viable as the people that are involved both on and off the field and they are many and varied occupations such as students, school teachers, accountants, police officers, tradesman, solicitors, aged care workers, bank managers, oil and gas plant operators; the list goes on.
Are these good people responsible for ice getting worse in our community?
Are they creating a culture that encourages the spreading of drug use, specifically ice?
The answer is of course no, but such a simple sentence being allowed to be printed has an awfully damaging effect.
As the two clubs participating in the Major League competition, we felt compelled to respond and highlight that, as a sporting code, all clubs in Gippsland understand how important it is that we involve ourselves in community issues and we have most certainly embraced that.
This is evidenced by:
The assistance of AFL Gippsland Ice Action Grants totalling $13,000, resulting in 18 clubs receiving ice education forums during the 2016 season. Many more clubs, including ourselves, hosted these forums in 2014 and 2015. These forums involved former drug addict and AFL player Gavin Crossica, Gippsport and local police addressing the signs and dangers of drug use and abuse and strategies to help deal with the problem.
$15,000 spent over 2015 and 2016 seasons to have 16 clubs sign a charter and receive education sessions on gambling awareness.
In partnership with Gippsland Mental Health Alliance, AFL Gippsland receiving $70,000 in funding to run education programs and promotional activities to highlight and create awareness of mental health. This education program began in 2015 and will continue well into the future.
In partnership with Gippsland Centre against Sexual Assault, two seasons of a themed competition rounds highlighting and creating awareness of violence against women. In 2015 every Gippsland League club received an education program, and this year there has been an additional six clubs in other leagues with more to follow suit in the future.
These forums and education programs have been well supported by all clubs in the region, with Sale FNC and Maffra FNC being leaders in this space and hosting a number of these events.
So, we put it to the nightclub manager Alan Harris, journalist Sarah Luke and editor Peter Hill, what are you doing to help counter these issues?
For support regarding ice, phone the 24-hour helpline on 1800 888 236
Family drug help is available by phoning 1300 660 068 and Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
Editor’s note:
The Gippsland Times commends the clubs on the dot point raised that specifically addresses tackling the issue of ice and drug addiction in clubs, where each club received a small grant to help combat ice use. It is widely acknowledged that community engagement is fundamental in addressing the causes of drug abuse and addiction, and sports clubs, along with myriad community groups, play an important and commendable role in doing that.
As far as what the Gippsland Times is doing to help combat the issue of ice, the Times continues to regularly raise the issue, and the article referred to was an attempt to again raise awareness in the community about the problem.
The Times comprehensively covered an ice sports forum last year in which local sporting club officials were told they could help in the fight against the abuse of ice and other illicit drugs, as well as alcohol, by formulating strong drug and alcohol policies.
An article was to appear in today’s issue regarding locals finding life intolerable as a result of others’ ice involvement, but it has been held over at the request of the police.
The Gippsland Times regularly reports on court cases in which ice is a factor, and remains in contact with local paramedics concerned about the issue.
In short, the Gippsland Times is doing its job in informing the community and helping prompt action from the responsible authorities.
As a night club manager, Mr Harris was quoted as he is well placed to see what problems transpire as a result of ice use. He was pointing out sports people are often seen by others as role models and help set the culture of country towns, and his concerns are that ice use generally is becoming normalised in the local area.
No local football-netball clubs were named in the article as specifically having an ice problem.
