Drug trafficking targeted in budget boost

The Morrison government will provide $188 million over five years from 2018/19 to support the National Drug Strategy.

A supplied image of NSW Police monitoring bikies.

Bikies trafficking drugs will be the focus of a program to tackle substance abuse in the budget. (AAP)

Bikies trafficking drugs and guns will be in the Morrison government's crosshairs as it ramps up efforts to tackle substance abuse.

The coalition will tip in $188 million over five years from 2018/19 in Tuesday's federal budget to support the National Drug Strategy.

The bulk - $147.2 million - will target outlaw motorcycle gangs and the illegal trade of firearms and drugs.

The government will also allocate more than $10 million over five years to support alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Queensland.

The money will pay for a new 20-bed centre in Mackay and 16 additional beds in Townsville, as well as a new detox facility.

There will be $9.6 million over three years to boost drug and alcohol workers in regional and remote Australia.

Over two years, $7.2 million will go to a trial of a drug to reverse opioid overdoses in NSW and South Australia.

Some $4.8 million over four years from 2019/20 will fund continued waste water analysis to gather data about drug use, while local family drug support services will get $4.3 million over four years.

The same amount over three years has been allocated to improving opioid prescribing practices and pain management treatment in regional Australia.

The National Drug Strategy is a 10-year program that aims to prevent and minimise harm from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.


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Source: AAP


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Drug trafficking targeted in budget boost | SBS News