Pubdate: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2003 Contact: http://www2.odt.co.nz Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925 Author: NZPA BUDGET BOOST TO FIGHT DRUGS, YOUTH SUICIDE $5m extra funding Wellington: Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton announced a budget boost this week of more than $5 million to aid the fight against drug abuse and youth suicide. Mr Anderton told the sixth annual New Zealand-Australia Conference on Addictive Diseases in Wellington that part of the money would help set up 15 community initiatives. They would establish programmes for families where there had been suicide or attempted suicide, he said. "These 15 community initiatives will receive funding totalling $2.55 million a year," he said. Six of the initiatives would be in rural areas, and nine in urban centres. Based on successful community action projects in Kaitaia, Hokianga, Whangaruru, West Auckland, Opotiki and Nelson, they would be located where drug use was highest, the Progressive Coalition leader said. He also announced budget support of $150,000 a year for a national drug information analyst to provide accurate and accessible information for the national drug policy. Budget 2003 would also provide $2.6 million over four years in support of the Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy. "Families and whanau can be particularly vulnerable when they have lost someone to suicide," Mr Anderton said. "When a suicide has been attempted, family members can end up being very distressed and vulnerable themselves." The Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, which has an existing operating budget of $40,000 a year, would get an additional $150,000 in 2003-04 and 2004-05. There would be another $75,000 next year to review the effectiveness of the strategy, he said. "Although youth suicide seems to be declining and is now less than 100 a year, every suicide is a failure and a human tragedy," he said.