Govt to stop funding anti-tobacco ads
The State Government is proposing multi-million dollar cuts to drug, alcohol and tobacco services including ending all SA Health investment in anti-smoking advertising campaigns.
Health Minister Jack Snelling announced the “savings strategies” this morning, which are designed to cut more than $5 million per year from the Health budget by 2017/18.
He said SA Health had “wide-ranging and competing funding pressures”, including the need to find about $160 million in savings across the system this financial year.
“I need to be assured that funding is being used in a way that meets the core needs of people using the health system,” he said.
The cuts proposed included an end to SA Health investment in “tobacco mass media advertising campaigns”, and no more “indirect support services for schools, workplaces and other groups, recognising that capacity has already been built in these sectors through investment over many years in past initiatives”.
Snelling said SA Health proposed to maintain funding a clean needle program aimed at reducing drug use harm, but indirect support services to organisations working in this area would end.
Other cuts would include:
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- A reduction in hours of service for the specialist telephone help line for people with drug problems, from seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to “approximately” 9am-5pm every day.
- SA Health to refer drug and alcohol clients to private and non-government outpatient support once they have completed specialist treatment.
- Assessment services for repeat drink and drug drivers to be delivered by the private sector “on a user pays basis”.
- SA Health will work with the Federal Government to transfer day centres in Ceduna and Port Augusta to non-government providers by June 30, 2015.
- SA Health would stop placing specialist staff in accommodation support programs.
- Tertiary outpatient drug and alcohol services would be consolidated at four metropolitan sites.
- Staff in the drug policy area would be reduced as a result of the reduced services.
- Drug and Alcohol Services SA would vacate its leased building at Greenhill Rd, with all functions transferred to an SA Health-owned property.
SA Health has announced it will begin consultation with staff, unions and drug and alcohol providers about the proposed cuts.
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