A desperate father has spoken out against the current laws that prevent him from forcing his son into rehab to help beat his ice addiction.
Brisbane dad, Simon Thomas, wants to put his son in rehab. But legally he is powerless in his pursuit as Rhys is 20 years old, two years over the legal age.
Thomas’s petition on Change.org to change current laws has already amassed 42,995 signatures.
Thomas, a railway engineer and his family have been struggling with his son’s drug issues for five years. But in October of last year it escalated when Rhys became addicted to crystal meth. “He doesn’t work he gets his Centrelink and he feeds his drug habit,” he told Nine News.
Since he created the petition on Change.org, it has received more than 42,000 signatures and will soon be presented to parliament by Nick Xenophon, senator for South Australia. “What we are doing now isn’t working,” he told Nine News. “And that’s why mandatory rehab should be on the agenda.”
Nine News reports that there are about 270,000 ice users in Australia, the most at risk are aged between 15-24.
Rhys was kicked out of the family home last year, revealed Thomas to the Daily Mail. “We can’t trust him with possessions or money so I will give him a feed and pay for his phone but that is it,” said Thomas.
“If he was locked up today, I’d sleep soundly at night. I know that’s a terrible thing to say… he’s safe and not on the streets. He is dealing with drug dealers and users.”
“My petition is about getting people safe again.”
For more information on the petition, visit change.org.
