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Thurston and Apunipima stand united against ice
by Kylie O’Brien 15 October 2015
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RL Grand Final winner Johnathan Thurston and Apunipima Cape York Health Council Public Health Medical Advisor Dr Mark Wenitong are reminding communities to say no to ice. A National Ice Roundtable summit will be held in Canberra tomorrow (Thursday October 15) where government-level discussions will continue to put ice in the spotlight. Federal Government Minister for Rural Health Senator Fiona Nash will address the summit and there will be a Q&A panel and case studies. Dr Wenitong will attend the summit and speak about Apunipima’s approach to tackle ice. In April this year, Apunipima
started a social media campaign to help bring awareness of what the drug can do to individuals, families, friends and communities by involving four well-known public Indigenous figures. Posters featuring the celebrities were used to support the campaign. Thurston joined the campaign along with footballer Davin Crampton, CQUniversity Cairns Taipan Kerry Williams and hip-hop group The Last Kinection to spread the message about saying no to ice. Thurston, who took the NQ Toyota Cowboys to Grand Final victory on October 4, said tackling ice must be a whole-of-community approach. “Every bit we do as individuals in our communities to give ice the boot is a step closer to driving the message home that ice is lethal,” Thurston said. “I encourage people to be active
in their communities to take a stance against ice and support your mob. At the end of the day, raising awareness about ice and what it can do to our mob, friends and families is necessary to help kick ice out of our communities.” Dr Wenitong is a vocal supporter of kicking ice out of our communities and is looking forward to attending the summit. “Ice destroys friends, families and culture and ultimately lives,” Dr Wenitong said. “Our approach is strategic and we will work with all agencies at all levels to deliver a community-based response to rid ice from the Cape and beyond.” “Having celebrities like Thurston, Crampton, Williams and The Last Kinection on board with Apunipima sets a great example to our Indigenous communities and encourages them to heed their messages.”
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