Intoxication reform education session

THE SWAN Hill Aboriginal community has been invited to a lunch and public intoxication legal education session at the Salvation Army Community Hall at 12:30pm on Thursday, February 20.

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) senior engagement officer Nina Kirby said it is important for Aboriginal communities to know their rights about public intoxication after the law reforms of 2023.

“We have VALS lawyers and Community Service Officers attending the event to chat with anyone who comes along, and this gives us an opportunity to put a face to the name,” she said.

“It’s important for us to be out in community delivering community legal education about the public intoxication reforms and other legal issues so our communities know their rights and that they can access Aboriginal legal services that are culturally safe and appropriate.

“People can meet the outreach teams and ask any questions they have about the health response, as well as being able to ask VALS lawyers questions about their rights.

“We’re lucky to be able to co-deliver this CLE session with Publication Intoxication Response Ngwala programs manager Cleve Hapi and Swan Hill District Health Aboriginal Health manager Charmain Anton,” Ms Kirby said.

The co-hosted VALS and Ngwala presentation will include information about the legal changes to public intoxication response, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and the Swan Hill Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, followed by lunch.

RSVP to the lunch at vals.org.au/Swan-Hill-RSVP/

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Public Intoxication Response reform

Public intoxication was decriminalised in Victoria in November 2023 and replaced with a health-focused response.

People who are intoxicated in public will now be offered health support to sober up in places that are safe, and Aboriginal services are available across Victoria to deliver outreach services and support for the Aboriginal community.

Outreach workers can ask for information about the intoxicated person, check if they are well and provide first aid, provide food and water, help them to contact a friend or relative, stay until they are picked up, organise transport to get them home, and help them to access a sobering centre or other safe place to sober up.

Staff can only provide support if the intoxicated person agrees.

Sobering up centres and outreach staff can also provide further information and refer people to other services.

Police cannot arrest, detain or fine a person for being intoxicated in public, but still have powers to arrest and detain a person for other public order offences.

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service resources noted the previous treatment of public intoxication was a criminal issue and using police charges to punish public intoxication meant people were not getting the support they needed, and the offence was used to criminalise Aboriginal people.

VALS paid respects to Tanya Day and her family and acknowledged their dedication in having the public intoxication decriminalised since her death in 2017.

Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation is the Swan Hill outreach service, and available online and at 9510 3233.

People can contact VALS to speak to a lawyer for free at 1800 064 865.

More information and resources are available at vals.org.au/publicintoxication