Frontline workers from across northern Tasmania will convene in Launceston on Tuesday morning to take part in a bus tour of the local alcohol and other drug services in their local community.
Coordinated by the Alcohol. Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania, the popular annual bus tours aim to increase awareness of alcohol and other drug services for community service workers who refer Tasmanians for support for their substance use.
Starting in Launceston, the bus tour will take over 20 community workers to visit the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Anglicare Tasmania, the Missiondale Recovery Centre, Salvation Army and Cornerstone Youth Services.
ATDC chief executive Alison Lai said that the annual bus tours are always over-subscribed and continued to be an effective and popular way to showcase the diverse services offered to people in northern Tasmania.
“We have coordinated the annual bus tours every year for the past 10 years, with the exception of 2020 which had to be cancelled due to COVID-19,” Ms Lai said.
“The bus tours continue to be popular because they allow people to visit the services first-hand, ask questions and get a better understanding of how the services work, which will help when referring people for treatment or support.
“Many Tasmanians know someone who has been impacted by their alcohol or other drug use, but many are unaware of the diversity of services available and the highly specialised nature of the support provided.
“The treatment services and programs that will be showcased include those provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, specialist alcohol and other drug counselling services, and the long-stay therapeutic residential rehabilitation program provided by the Launceston City Mission at their Missiondale site in Evandale.”
In addition to touring the specialist facilities, participants will also receive presentations from organisations such as the Drug Education Network, Advocacy Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government’s Alcohol and Drug Services.
The bus tour will depart the Inveresk car park at 8:40am on the morning of Tuesday, 27 April 2021.
Download Launceston itinerary PDF
The ATDC will also be running a Bus Tour in Hobart on Wednesday 19 May. Please contact us for more details on itinerary and media availability.
Seek support
- Alcohol and Drug Information Service – 1800 811 994
- Family Drug Support – 1300 368 186
- Alcohol and Drug Services – 1300 139 641
- Tasmanian alcohol and other drug service directory – www.atdc.org.au/service-directory
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Media Contact: Alison Lai, CEO – 0450 517 017
