Addiction Help

	ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. The A.A. program, set forth in our Twelve Steps, offers the alcoholic a way to develop a satisfying life without alcohol. Use the AA meeting search tool to find your local branch.
	The Australian Drug Foundation provides effective drug prevention for everyone. The ADF’s DrugInfo Clearinghouse functions as a drug prevention network, providing easy access to information about alcohol and other drugs, and drug prevention. Professionals and members of the general community can use the service as their first port of call for information from local, national and international sources. This site also offers Drug Information and counselling hotlines as well as other valuable information and support links.
	The goal of Family drug Support is to assist families throughout Australia to deal with drug issues in a way that strengthens relationships and achieves positive outcomes. To this end they offer a seven day, 24 hour telephone line Australia-wide, manned by volunteers offering help to diffuse crisis, proffering strategies for coping and giving any information required. The Stepping Stones model of dealing with drugs in the family is a comprehensive description of the process that occurs in families affected by drugs. The *FDS Guide to Coping* kit contains details about the model. Download brochures from the web site.**
	Odyssey House provides residential and non-residential rehabilitation programs for men and women with a drug, alcohol or gambling problem. When appropriate, the dependant children of residents participating in the program may also receive accommodation and support to help minimise the adverse effects of their parent's problems. The residential treatment program at Odyssey House applies a comprehensive rehabilitation approach to alcohol other drugs and gambling addiction in order for personal growth to replace dependency. Odyssey House provides a range of services, to find out more, go to website.
	Reach Out! is a web-based service that inspires young people to help themselves through tough times. The aim of the service is to improve young people’s mental health and well being by providing support information and referrals in a format that appeals to young people. Check out Reach Out! Central (ROC), a new interactive space and community forum, where you can talk about stuff and find support on dealing with a range of topics. Loads of fact sheets on all types of drugs.
	The Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN) provides a central point of access to quality Internet-based alcohol and drug information provided by prominent organisations in Australia and Internationally. Organisations and individuals can search and share relevant information on licit and illicit drug issues. ADIN clearly identifies and evaluates its content, emphasising Australian information from reputable organisations. Provides links to alcohol and drug services nationwide.
	Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling. Gamblers Anonymous (GA) provides help to people through attendance at GA meetings. If gambling is causing you problems, you may be able to find help by attending a GA meeting as soon as possible. See the website for GA meeting locations and for more information, literature and contact details.
	The aim of Al-Anon/Al-Ateen is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of someone close. Similarly, Alateen is our recovery program for young people. Alateen provides support for teenagers affected by the problem drinking of a parent or other family member. There are meetings in every Australian state. Whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not, Al-Anon and Alateen offer hope and recovery to all people affected by the alcoholism of a relative or friend. See site for details of meetings and contact information.
	The cautious with cannabis web site is for anyone who wishes to know more about cannabis and strategies that can help reduce the harms and those who wish to cut down or stop using. It provides information including ‘Cannabis and the law’ and ‘overcoming dependence’. There are also great links to other helpful sites as well as information and details for free ‘Cautious with Cannabis’ programs offered throughout Victoria.