The debate over the proposed relocation of Arcadia House, Canberra's long-running, respected alcohol and other drug rehabilitation service, from its ageing Bruce facility to a site in Cook has been undeniably fractious.
While concerns that have been publicly aired by some Cook residents about safety, proximity to children's facilities, and loss of green space are valid and deserve a considered response, concerns that are based on stigma and misinformation should be challenged.
Arcadia House is a structured, evidence-based therapeutic community that has operated safely for decades and supported countless ordinary Canberrans to achieve their health goals in relation to alcohol and drug use. The service operates 24/7 under the supervision of qualified health professionals from Directions Health, one of Canberra's longest-running alcohol and drug treatment services.
The residents of Arcadia House are everyday Canberrans who are actively working towards improving their health, participating in intensive therapeutic programs, and rebuilding their lives.
They are our neighbours, colleagues, friends and family members who are courageously seeking help for a health condition that impacts hundreds of thousands of Australians every year. To frame them as a threat denies their vulnerability and undermines their brave commitment to seeking help.
It is best practice to integrate rehabilitation services into suburban areas. This is because rehabilitation is most successful when clients maintain connections to community life. Isolating services in industrial zones only increases stigma, which is one of the biggest barriers to people seeking help.
Locating essential health services like alcohol and other drug programs in our communities sends a powerful message that people who have experienced substance use dependence are valued members of society and that when they have achieved their health goals, they will be able to return to their homes, families and communities and pick up the lives they were living before the impacts of substance use.
While it may not always be visible, alcohol and drug use occurs across every suburb of Canberra. The choice isn't between a safe community and one with people experiencing substance use disorders.
Instead, it's a choice between leaving people to struggle without support, thereby potentially fuelling cycles of crisis, homelessness, and harm, or providing pathways to escape this cycle.
The evidence is clear: accessible, best-practice treatment reduces community-wide harms.
We urge the Canberra community to engage constructively in consultations about alcohol and other drug issues, focusing on practical safeguards, while recognising the broader benefits of supporting best-practice healthcare. People seeking help for substance use deserve access to quality, contemporary health services in welcoming environments.
Canberra's suburbs can safely embrace rehabilitation services, because supporting people in managing a substance use disorder isn't just a matter of compassion, it's the surest path to a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community for everyone.
