BLAYNEY’S Patricia Worth has been nationally recognised with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) medal for her service to drug and alcohol prevention and her service to the Parliament of Australia.
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The AM medal comes as a pleasant surprise to Ms Worth who believes her post-political career is the reason why she was nominated.
“The award is a great honour and quite unexpected,” she said.
“I understand the nomination came from some I have worked with since leaving parliament in community preventative health, particularly in the areas of alcohol and other drugs and mental health.
“I guess it is rewarding and I think it does emphasise the sort of work I was doing with others is actually valued.”
Ms Worth was in office from 1993 until 2004 as the federal member for Adelaide and while the Liberal Party was in government, held positions within health and youth services.
While in government, she worked toward improving youth mental health through national policies and programs.
“When in parliament some of my health portfolio responsibilities included alcohol and other drugs, suicide prevention and mental health,” she said.
“As a consequence I became well aware of the importance of education, prevention and especially early intervention in areas once put to me as “not sexy but enormously important”.
“Under my watch the first ever national mental health policy was launched by prime minister John Howard in 2004.
“It set a foundation for a lot that followed.”
Post-politics, Ms Worth has been involved with various drug and alcohol prevention organisations including DrinkWise, the Australian National Preventative Health Agency, the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, NSW Government Alcohol Education and Information Taskforce and the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre.
“I was very bad at saying no when I was invited to going on various board and taskforces and councils,” she said.
“Chairing the board of DrinkWise Australia provided me the opportunity to harness the expertise and commitment of leading Australians and to communicate their messages about young people drinking too much too soon and the potential consequences including harm to the developing teenage brain.
“I was always grateful for the key independent advice from researchers, clinicians and those who worked on the front line.”
Ms Worth has since retired from her positions on various councils and organisation and is preparing for a return home to Adelaide.
ellen.dunger@fairfaxmedia.com.au
