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THE HON KATE ELLIS MP

Former Minister for Early Childhood Education

Child Care and Youth

and Minister for Sport

National Education and Prevention Action Plan on Illicit Drugs in Sport

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The Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis, has released the Australian Government’s $20.1 million Illicit Drugs in Sport - National Education and Prevention Action Plan to help tackle illicit drug use in sport and in the broader communit

PDF printable version of National Education and Prevention Action Plan on Illicit Drugs in Sport (PDF 21 KB)

26 June 2009

The Minister for Sport Kate Ellis today released the Australian Government’s $20.1 million Illicit Drugs in Sport - National Education and Prevention Action Plan to help tackle illicit drug use in sport and in the broader community.

The Action Plan will help sports tackle illicit drug use and also, for the first time, implement a national coordinated approach to use positive sport role models to educate the community, particularly our kids, about the harms associated with illicit drug use.

Under the Government’s $20.1 million Action Plan:

  • Professional and non-professional sports will have access to Government funded education programs targeted at elite athletes, coaches and sport administrators.
  • Sport role models will help deliver community education and prevention initiatives about the harms associated with illicit drug use at a community level.
  • National Sporting Organisations can apply to the Australian Government to help conduct out of competition testing for illicit drugs and result management
  • An evidence base will be developed through ongoing research
This is a comprehensive approach that recognises the importance of education, prevention, detection and rehabilitation in successfully tackling illicit drug use both in sport and our community.

The Action Plan was developed in consultation with experts in the field and has the endorsement of the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD).

The Government acknowledges the work of sports such as the NRL, Cricket Australia and AFL in establishing policies to respond to illicit drug use by athletes.

Our approach builds on this work and further provides the opportunity for NSOs that have limited illicit drug testing capacity to apply for Government funding to build or enhance their detection and prevention regimes.

The Government’s Illicit Drugs in Sport - National Education and Prevention Action Plan can be found at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/sport-natillicitdrugs

The Government looks forward to working co-operatively with NSOs to implement the Action Plan and to help stamp out illicit drug use in sport and the community.

Media Contact: Jimmy Sullivan 0423 290 646

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