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An ambitious plan to address youth drug use and crime in Queensland has today been launched by the Take Control campaign for safer, saner drug laws, calling on all Members of Parliament to commit to programs diverting youth from the criminal justice system and into treatment and rehabilitation.

The Safest State Plan responds to growing concern among Queenslanders for rates of youth crime and antisocial behaviour, with a strategy that focuses on engaging disadvantaged young people before they become involved in crime, diverting those with drug and alcohol issues into treatment rather than the justice system, and funding specialised residential care facilities.

Matt Noffs, CEO of the Ted Noffs Foundation, Australia’s largest provider of drug treatment for young Australians, says the Queensland Government must implement a plan for communities and social services to work jointly with police to tackle the root causes of youth crime, rather than punishing the outcome.

“Queensland is at a crossroads. Communities have been crying out for decades for services and support as their children battle with drug and alcohol addiction,” says Mr Noffs.

“We have written to every Queensland MP with our Safest State plan to meaningfully address this issue. It’s an evidence-based model of engagement, diversion and treatment that we have used in Australia for decades to help young people with addiction and steer them away from crime.

“For many young people, problematic drug use is a result of disadvantage and a gateway to crime. If we give young people treatment and opportunities, if we give them hope, we can help them overcome their disadvantage and give back to their communities.

“All our current system does is slap them with criminal sanctions, destroying their future prospects and further entrenching inequality. It does nothing to address the root causes of crime.

“Our current approach to drugs and crime has been in place for decades. It has not worked. Queenslanders need meaningful change to keep their streets safe and help their communities thrive. This is something both parties should be fighting for in the upcoming election.”