The " Rehabilitation " Rorts !

As a country, Australia has a rigid licensing regime when it comes to recognising professional  qualifications.  Doctors - lawyers - all those who have served the apprenticeship of university and on job training are protected against shonks by their jealous professional bodies.   We are slow to accept qualifications earned in another country and in many cases we demand such an entrant start at the bottom and re-train here.

It seems that there are glaring gaps in this accreditation system.   When Ice  burst onto the drug scene it brought with it a new dimension of opportunity for the unqualified.     Ice  was plentiful - and cheap - and amazingly addictive.   Very quickly families found that they had a son or a daughter completely out of control and in need of rehabilitation.

The number of rehabilitation beds in the health system is hopelessly inadequate.   Waiting lists run to months - and sometimes years.   When a family has a teenager tearing themselves apart in a frenzy of need for Ice the need for intervention is  immediate - and in most cases the only help available comes from the private sector.

The law of supply and demand comes to the fore.   We are seeing a vast increase in the number of private "for profit "clinics springing up offering help to combat drug addiction generally and with specific care to combat Ice addiction.

Sadly, many families are so desperate to save the life of a cherished son or daughter that they are prepared to mortgage - and sometimes even sell - their family home to raise the cash necessary for treatment.   Most clinics provide live in accommodation and have courses that are of many months duration.  The cost can run into thousands of dollars - with no guarantee of success.

What is alarming is that this source of what seems to be a medical practice is totally unregulated. There are no recognised qualifications for those tasked with managing the withdrawal of users from drugs and the tactics employed change from clinic to clinic.   Some go for what is termed "Cold Turkey " while others use distractions such as bush walks and exercise to regain control.

Many seem successful - while the user remains within the control of the clinic, but the moment they return home and restart contact with old friends - who are still using drugs -  the drop back into the abyss starts again.

At least the authorities are clamping down on clinics which promise high success rates without any statistics to validate the claim.   They are being subjected to the " Truth in Advertising "regime that is cleaning up the industry, but obviously the industry needs professional standards to apply so that families considering care for a son or daughter know what they are getting in exchange for their money.

The big decision is whether these private clinics are providing a medical service or some sort of lesser health regimen like a spa.   They are free to set whatever fees they feel appropriate but the government has a duty to determine that they provide value for money - and to intervene if they are making promises they can not keep.

Drug rehabilitation is a murky world with no professional standards.   The desperate families who are gambling their family wealth to try and save a son or daughter deserve better protection than is presently available !