‘Talk to your dealer’: Taxpayer-funded organisation urges drug addicts to stock up on meth, cocaine and heroin to avoid being left without supplies during coronavirus lockdown

  • CounsellingOnline.org.au is partly financed by state and federal governments
  • It received $1.5million last week to amp up services during the COVID-19 crisis 
  • Turning Point’s director said drug withdrawals are similar to virus symptoms
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Charlotte Karp For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 17:28 BST, 27 April 2020 | Updated: 17:54 BST, 27 April 2020

A government-funded organisation is urging drug addicts to stock up on illicit substances to avoid being left short of supplies during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Drug and alcohol treatment and research service CounsellingOnline.org.au is operated by Turning Point – an organisation that helps people affected by substance abuse – and is partly financed by Australian state and federal governments.

It received $1.5million from the Department of Health last week to amp up services during the global pandemic.

On Monday, the website read: ‘If possible, talk to your dealer about what might happen if your regular drug supply may be restricted and stock up on your drugs of choice.’

On Monday, the website read: 'If possible, talk to your dealer about what might happen if your regular drug supply may be restricted and stock up on your drugs of choice.' But the organisation amended the statement later that day (pictured)

On Monday, the website read: ‘If possible, talk to your dealer about what might happen if your regular drug supply may be restricted and stock up on your drugs of choice.’ But the organisation amended the statement later that day (pictured)

The website also instructed people to avoid bingeing on stockpiled drugs and advised users contact trustworthy dealers in case supplies run dry. 

While the statement was reviewed and removed later that day, Turning Point’s clinical director Professor Dan Lubman defended the statement. 

‘The reality is a substantial proportion of the community use drugs, that’s the reality, and we’ve got a pandemic,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.

‘We need to give people strong, clear, practical advice on how to cope when the door is being shut and [users] might not have drug supply and might end up going into withdrawal.’

Professor Lubman likened the availability of food and alcohol to the general population during the COVID-19 crisis to that of illicit substances.

He argued the two are no different.

Turning Point's clinical director Professor Dan Lubman said drug withdrawal side-effects are similar to COVID-19 symptoms (stock image)

Turning Point's clinical director Professor Dan Lubman said drug withdrawal side-effects are similar to COVID-19 symptoms (stock image)

Turning Point’s clinical director Professor Dan Lubman said drug withdrawal side-effects are similar to COVID-19 symptoms (stock image)

He said the side-effects of drug withdrawals including headaches, tremors and nausea are difficult to differentiate from the symptoms of the virus.

‘You certainly don’t want a population of people running out of drugs presenting to healthcare with symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, particularly when the fear at the time was those services were going to be overrun,’ he said. 

The Department of Health told the publication it doesn’t oversee the information provided by Turning Point and doesn’t vet the advice given to clients.

The organisation, which has been running since 1994, also urged users to consider opioid replacements in an effort to ween people off drugs.

It provided a range of advice and helplines to users and families struggling with addiction during the pandemic.

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