New Victorian laws allow people to be detained against their will for drug or alcohol treatment in an approved treatment centre. It’s not believed the powers have been used as yet. Under the legislation ‘‘treatment’’ is defi ned as medically assisted withdrawal.

St Vincent’s Hospital’s addiction director Professor Jon Currie said detox was ‘‘just a first step’’ in treatment.

‘‘If you don’t have clear pathways to treatment after detox it’s all a waste of time.’’

Yarra Drug and Health Forum chairman Peter Wearne has worked with young people suffering alcohol and drug addictions for more than 30 years.

While concerned the laws risk being a ‘‘blunt instrument’’ with ‘‘a great potential for capturing people’’, he believes overall they have merit. ‘‘It was really about families who were at their wits’ end caring for longterm, habitual drug and alcohol users, the real trauma of caring for someone who’s slowly killing themselves.’’

Drug, alcohol and health workers met last week to discuss implications of the new laws, which will take effect in March.

They have been told the government will introduce support packages to help people at the end of their 14-day detention and withdrawal process.

But the community legal sector has lingering concerns about the new laws.

Fitzroy Legal Service points to 2002 research showing more people have ‘‘benefi cial outcomes’’ from rehab if they enter treatment voluntarily.

‘‘There is significant evidence that coerced or compelled drug treatment provides less positive outcomes than treatment that is voluntarily undertaken,’’ lawyer Meghan Fitzgerald said.

The Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria wrote to Health Minister Daniel Andrews in January, alleging the laws were an ‘‘unjustifi able’’ intrusion on human rights and to express concern that the defi nition of ‘‘severe substance dependence’’ was broad.

A spokesman from the Department of Health said the government would continue to consult the sector over coming months.