Drug rehab centres hit by social welfare cuts

Budgetary cuts are undermining rehabilitation projects which offer a “lifeline to drug users, their families, and communities”.

An umbrella organisation representing community drug projects said women, lone parents, and people with disabilities who want to get off drugs are dropping out of these programmes because of social welfare changes in recent budgets.

The changes — which effectively result in cuts to money these people receive — are sending rehabilitation projects into a downward cycle as fewer participants means less funding.