Calls for more rehab facilities in regional WA amidst rise in methamphetamine use

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A residential rehabilitation centre near Esperance is helping addicts turn their lives around. But as regional WA records the highest average methamphetamine use in the country, advocates say more rehab facilities are desperately needed.

Transcript

00:00The world is looking brighter for Jonathan Bolwell.

00:04I see all the colours around everywhere, it's not grey, I feel happy.

00:08The 30-year-old tried methamphetamines when he was 21.

00:12Within about a couple of seconds I realised I was hooked.

00:15Starting a nine-year battle with addiction.

00:17I nearly lost everything in the process, my son, the respect for my family, the respect

00:21of all my friends, and that's what brought me here.

00:25So each one of these trees that are planted down here represents one of our students.

00:30This rehabilitation centre near Esperance has been helping addicts since 1985.

00:36It's seeing an increasing number of people struggling with methamphetamines.

00:41Methamphetamines is becoming greater and greater.

00:44In fact it would probably be the second highest to alcohol use.

00:49The WA government has spent $600 million over the past seven years to reduce meth-related

00:54harm.

00:55But last year, meth consumption rose by 40%.

00:59Regional parts of the state recorded the highest average meth consumption in the country.

01:03Advocates say more investment in rehab centres is desperately needed.

01:07Residential rehabs do work.

01:10They do make a difference.

01:11They do change a life.

01:13Shannon Lumsden enrolled at Grace Academy after realising her life needed to change.

01:18When I was hanging out with my friend and he overdosed on my couch, that was my rock bottom.

01:24After struggling with addiction, the 31-year-old is two years sober, happily married and working

01:29at the facility.

01:30She encourages others to seek help.

01:32This is life or death and if you really want life, you should really take it.

01:36But to make that choice a possibility, for a growing number of addicts, more funding

01:41is needed for services like this one.

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