Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Local sports clubs will be part of a grassroots campaign to educate the community about the effects of the drug ice as part of the federal government's National Ice Action Strategy. The Good Sports program, which already promotes responsible consumption of alcohol in 7,000 sporting clubs, will receive an extra $4.6 million over four years to take the message about ice to those clubs. Locally, Good Sports has accredited sport clubs, including the South Perth Cricket Club and the Manning Rippers Football Club, so those clubs will be places where the message about ice will now be delivered. Last week I met with Manning Rippers Football Club president, Michael Tindall, CEO of the Greyhounds WA, David Hobbs, and Rod Bridge from Sideffect to discuss the new program being funded through the national strategy. The commitment of coaches, presidents, clubs and Mr Bridge bodes well for the rollout of this initiative in the electorate of Swan.

Rod Bridge formed the not-for-profit Sideffect after his 16-year-old son, Preston, died in February 2013 following his school ball after-party. Preston was a rising football star but died after he fell off a balcony after taking just one tablet of synthetic LSD known as 25inBone. Mr Bridge formed Sideffect to create a voice to educate and make others aware of the fatal danger of taking synthetic drugs. He has travelled to China and shut down ice labs in China and he is now in the process of putting some buses together to travel to schools to educate children in schools about the effects and dangers of ice. (Time expired)

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