Tullamarine Football Club wants to be on the front foot when it comes to alcohol and substance abuse.
Vice-president Andrew Fischer has organised a drug and alcohol forum for July 6 and invited representatives from each of the 27 Essendon District Football League clubs to attend.
Mr Fischer said he was unaware of whether any Tullamarine FC players had succumbed to ice or alcohol abuse, but he wanted to be proactive and address the issue head-on.
“It’s an awareness night. I wouldn’t know if someone was on ice or not, so that’s what we’ll be talking about,” Mr Fischer said.
Guest speakers include prominent youth outreach worker Les Twentyman, a senior sergeant from Fawkner police station and Breathometer managing director Des Malcolm.
(Breathometer manufactures breathalysers in Tullamarine, delivers them to party hosts and later collects them.)
Mr Malcolm has installed a Breathometer inside the football club free of charge on a user-pays basis.
Mr Fischer, who was Tullamarine FC president for 14 years, said the forum would give the club a chance to fulfil its obligations as a community organisation.
In a newsletter sent out to all EDFL clubs, Mr Fischer stresses the forum would not be a fundraiser for the football club “as we believe the gaining of awareness on the abuse of drugs and alcohol is far more important”.
President Michael Fiteni said the club felt an obligation to inform its members about the dangers of ice. “We have an obligation to help with broader community issues.”
The free event on Monday, July 6, is at 6pm at Leo Dineen Reserve Clubrooms, Tullamarine.
