“We had a group who used to meet in Broadmeadows to talk about our children’s battles with drugs and there were roughly 12 to 18 of us each week,” recalls Pat Hill. “In the three to four years the group was running, there were eight deaths [of our children] in our small group. One woman lost two kids in that time.”
This is one of the stories Hill shares about her fight to help people struggling with drug abuse and their families who struggle with them.
The Sunbury resident’s crusade against drugs began when her son Jason started using; it’s a battle he continues today.
Hill launched Pat’s Bus, a mobile youth centre, 13 years ago to reduce alcohol and drug abuse by engaging young people and combating boredom, and she has run and been involved in many community groups to raise awareness of drug abuse.
Twelve months ago, Hill was named ‘Victorian senior of the year’ for her work with the bus and establishing a Sunbury parents drug information and support group.
She gave away the bus last year, but her work is far from over as the use of drugs becomes more prevalent in Victoria.
“Drugs are not mentioned until there is death or you are directly affected by it,” she says.
“I thought recently, why do I bother … then I get another call from a Sunbury woman whose son doesn’t live here and he’s in a bad way. Everywhere I go, it’s amazing the number of people who want to open up and want to ask questions.”
Hill says she can’t solve the problem alone, with many people failing to acknowledge drugs are an issue, both locally and on a much larger scale.
“There are only a couple of people who can fix this – the government and the courts,” she says.
“But the court system is so weak. It’s like a slap on the wrist with [addicts] made to do a few courses – they need to go to rehab.”
Hill says significant changes are needed. “If you look at my son, he isn’t going to go to rehab by himself. You have to make them go. If they’re forced to be on a prison farm or in rehab, they get them up at 6am to work and get them away from everything, and it gives them time to work out what they have done with their lives.
“We have to be tougher with our laws. Sometimes when my son went to prison I was glad as I knew where he was.
“If they really know that if they get caught stealing once more [to feed their drug habit] they’ll be going to rehab; that will change their behaviour.”
Lack of support and funds are slowing the efforts of Hill and other parents.
“Last year,” she says, “there were 298 deaths in car accidents and 350 people died from drugs and prescriptions drugs, but the same resources aren’t being allocated. I had a call not long ago from Sunshine police saying they had my son there. They wanted to know if I was home and wanted to bring him home to Sunbury.
“They said it was because all the jails in all the police stations were full, so there was nowhere to put him.
“I sometimes think we have to make this government do something and see it from our side.’’
Hill’s friend and fellow Sunbury resident Joan (surname withheld) is experiencing similar struggles.
Joan and her husband, both in their 70s, are among the growing number of grandparents looking after grandchildren as their own children battle with drug abuse.
“My son and his partner have two beautiful kids. We just try and keep it normal [for the children],’’ Joan says. “The older [grandchild] gets angry and says he hates me and hates being here and wants to be with his mum and dad. I want them to be with mum and dad, too, and not have to come back to us.’’
Hill says there aren’t enough resources put into helping people with drug and mental health issues.
“Youth services are pretty poor,” Joan says. “For young people in need, Sunbury’s existing youth centre, now open in school hours, should stay open from 4-8pm. They have a facility there and they don’t appear to use it.
“If you don’t play sport in towns like Sunbury, there isn’t anything else to do.”
Joan says social media has played a key role in making drugs socially acceptable. “The kids seem to think it’s cool to take these tablets, but they don’t know what they are taking and it ends up in their system and they end up having a fit, a turn or whatever.’’
Hill and Joan have formed a bond through their children’s battles and believe that support of other parents is vital. Hill is working towards setting up a parents’ group in Sunbury, but both women say there’s only so much they can do.
“We can talk to you, we can run stories in the paper and run forums, but the government needs to do more.
“It’s easy to say just put them in rehab, but I can tell you they won’t go if they don’t want to.”
