Involuntary detention of ice-addled teenagers has divided front-line services for drug addiction in the North East.
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Odyssey House Victoria chief executive Stefan Gruenert said a proposal put forward by independent Senator Jacqui Lambie could work if checks were put in place.
Gateway Health’s Loretta Foster said she did not support a proposed private member’s bill, which would allow parents to place their children in detox programs against their will.
Senator Lambie was also met with opposition from a North East mother who helped her daughter overcome addiction.
The mother, who did not want to be named, said making an addict seek help against their will was “never going to work”.
“They have to want to be ready to be helped, otherwise they will just be in and out or disappear off the face of the earth,” she said.
Ms Foster said if young addicts were forced to get help, they would likely be stuck on a waiting list.
“I understand how difficult any struggle with substance abuse is, but forcing them is not a good long-term solution,” she said.
“The bill is not something we would support, it has much more effect when people make their own choices.”
People already seeking help in the North East face waiting periods of between two to four months to get a place at Odyssey residential rehabilitation facility at Benalla.
The centre has 15 beds and a waiting list of about 50 people for its six-week program.
Before an addict can enter rehab, they need to attend a detoxification centre but the closest facility to the Border is found in Melbourne.
Mr Gruenert said the proposal could be help if families were forced to forcibly admit at addict.
“The demand for the services in Benalla have been very solid for the last three years, but has increased since the discussion around ice in the media,” he said.
“I appreciate many parents are feeling desperate and want to commit their kids to detox or rehab services and cases overseas have shown that can work.
