DRUG recovery beds are desperately needed but much more must be invested in preventing substance abuse, according to Greens health spokeswoman Cassy O'Connor.
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The state government has pledged $4.8 million over four years to tackle ice use in Tasmania, including funding for 12 drug rehabilitation beds expected to be based in the North-West.
Ms O'Connor said the funding injection was welcome news, but demonstrated the government's patchwork response to ice abuse.
"The big missing gap here is in early intervention, in drug education and evidence-based strategies to stop people using the drug in the first place and potentially becoming addicted," Ms O'Connor said.
"It's the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff because we need to prevent people from taking the leap into this addictive, highly destructive drug."
However, Health Minister Michael Ferguson said he would address all 11 recommendations made by a report into ice use on the North-West Coast, which included promoting early intervention measures.
Released in November, the report recommended improving training and treatment guidelines, responding to emerging abuse and developing prevention strategies, in addition to increasing the number of drug recovery beds.
Ms O'Connor also queried why the 12 beds were likely to end up in the North-West, when ice abuse was a statewide problem.
Mr Ferguson said the new beds were targeted at a service gap.
"Tasmanians in the North-West Coast haven't had equal access to the sort of recovery beds that they should have. We're making the North-West a priority because they don't have any, whereas the North and the South do."