Youth Statement on the NSW (Sydney/Gadigal) Drug Summit

This Youth Statement was developed by young people who participated in the NSW Sydney/Gadigal Drug Summit. We are united in our call for meaningful reform to drug policies, programs, and services. The Statement has been prepared to ensure that the perspectives of youth delegates are accurately represented and that our voices are heard by policymakers. We aim to elevate and centre youth perspectives, emphasising the need for young people to have a genuine role in shaping the futures we will inherit.

The Statement has been developed by young people of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, genders and sexualities, and lived experiences, many of whom identified at the summit as people with lived or living experiences of drug use and service access in NSW. Many of us are currently consumers of health/support services and/or are volunteering or working in the drug and alcohol, health, community, education, and related sectors.

However, there are many young people and communities who were not able to attend or were not well-represented at the summit, including youth in custodial settings. Most youth delegates in attendance were convened last minute, and were young adults rather than youth under 18 or 16. We also have not had the capacity nor capability of reaching any youth delegates of the regional summits. This Statement therefore cannot and does not reflect the perspectives of all young people or youth and we urge readers to consider the importance of engaging all youth.

Read the full Youth Statement here