The Alcohol and Drug Foundation, created in 1959 as the Alcoholism Foundation of Victoria and formerly called the Australian Drug Foundation and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation of Victoria is a

non-government A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

organisation based in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation's work is inclusive of both legal and

illegal drugs Illegal may refer to: Law * Violation of law ** Crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and uni ...

on a national level and focuses on primary and secondary prevention. The Foundation has a vision to "create Australian culture that supports people so they can live healthy, safe and satisfying lives, unaffected by drug problems". The Alcohol and Drug Foundation is made up of several directorates that each aim to prevent drug problems, as opposed to treating existing problem users. There is an information dissemination arm, the DrugInfo Clearinghouse; a research arm; a community support program, the Good Sports Program; and an alcohol advocacy group, the Community Alcohol Action Network.

History

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation was established in 1959 as the Alcoholism Foundation of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. It was a response to the lack of services for alcohol-dependent people at the time and provided counselling and information. In those days, the Foundation called for a "coordinated attack by the community, involving education, treatment, and research".Australian Drug Foundation
Over the ensuing decades, the nature of drug use changed in Australia. The Victorian Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Dependence eventually led to the current name. Over time, treatment services became more widely available. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation moved away from this aspect of service delivery and began to develop primary and secondary prevention resources — a focus that remains to the present day.

Media attention

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation is considered to be a national leader in the alcohol and other drug fields, and as such is often called upon by media outlets to comment on issues.

History

Media attention

See also

References

Further reading