In April 2015, the Australian Government established a National Ice Taskforce to report on the impact of crystal methamphetamine (ice) use in Australia and the actions needed to address this growing problem. The Final Report of the National Ice Taskforce found that ‘Ice use in Australia is at high levels and is increasing’ and that ‘Our first priority must be supporting families, workers and communities to better respond to people affected by ice’. As part of its response to this need, the Australian Government Department of Health funded the development of Cracks in the Ice, an online toolkit that will provide the Australian community with evidence-based information about ice.
The aim of this new project is to specifically respond to the need for improved access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to culturally appropriate evidence‐based information about 'ice'. The project will build on the development of the Cracks in the Ice online toolkit that is being developed for the broader population, and will bring members of the Cracks in the Ice team together with Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous researchers and service providers with expertise in the area.
The first phase of the project will develop an on‐line ‘toolkit’ that meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for information about methamphetamine and access to related services and/or support; will widely disseminate information about the ‘toolkit’; and will provide access to it.
Following launch, the second phase of the project will monitor and evaluate access to the resource and its effectiveness in responding to community needs, and will provide on‐going up‐dating, modification and maintenance of the toolkit.