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Representative from the Penington Institute

Biography

Penington Institute is a leading, independent, not-for-profit public health organisation that promotes informed approaches to tackling the health, social and economic impacts of substance use in the community. We are a leading voice in the national conversation about the growing harms of crystal methamphetamine – ice. We have provided expert advice to Australian governments on this subject, including the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into the supply and use of methamphetamines, particularly ice, in Victoria. Penington Institute has also actively contributed to ice awareness campaigns. Penington Institute is committed to workforce development activities, where we offer a training program to people who work directly with drug users, including front-line service delivery workers in a range of industries including hospitality. Our expertise is in frontline training to time-poor workers about difficult drug-related topics such as the safe and effective management of ice-intoxicated clients. Our trainers are very experienced frontline workers themselves and know how to communicate with this demographic. In regional, rural and metropolitan areas, there is strong demand for evidence-based information from the community including from parents, schools, sporting clubs and others about amphetamines in general, and ice in particular. We have responded to this increasing community concern about the more widespread use of ice by developing online information modules such as Understand Ice - http://www.understandice.org.au/ - and participating in community forums, often with representatives of Victoria Police, where we focus on harm reduction strategies. We have also developed training materials for face-to-face workforce development training which focuses on issues surrounding the use of ice. We are funded by the Victorian Government to provide training and workforce development for the Victorian Needle and Syringe Program (NSP); and also the Community Overdose Prevention Education program (COPE) which informs participants - including potential overdose witnesses - on the use of naloxone, a life-saving chemical which if applied timely revives individuals from opioid overdose. For more information about Penington Institute see its website – www.penington.org.au Enquiries will be welcomed at p.morgan@penington.org.au or mobile 0417 597 334.

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