Fears for drug rehab funding as ACT users shift to ice

The head of the ACT's peak drug support advocacy body has warned the waiting lists for drug treatment would blow out and users be placed at risk if feared federal government cuts to treatment providers were realised.

Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT executive officer Carrie Fowlie said agrowth in ACT users of ice, reflecting a national trend as a higher purity of drug was available, meant treatment services were already stretched.

"When we have people experiencing really serious harm because of the purity, then we have these two month waiting lists for treatment the harms will be exacerbated."

"It would be catastrophic for the sector to lose federal drug funding."

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Ms Fowlie said treatment services saved lives, with alcohol still the drug causing the widest and most expensive harm to society, but no federal funds had been confirmed beyond June 30.

The fear wascuts by the Department of Social Services, which on Monday scrapped all future funding for financial counselling and housing advocacy groups like National Shelter, would also extend to drug treatment providers.

Karralika drug outreach program chief executive Camilla Rowland said she feared $280,000 of federal funding for a family treatment program, to be exhausted in February,was at risk, at a time when Karralika had the highest rate of methamphetamine concern among clients in its 36-year history.

"People who come and seek treatment chronic methamphetamine users their physical health [is] very poor.

"It takes significant far more intensive health treatment."

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Fears for drug rehab funding as ACT users shift to ice