Monthly Archives: May 2007

E-chatter 3

With thanks to Drug Blog contributor Paul Gallagher, who posts to the ADCA update list with comprehensive links on current online news and debate in relation to AOD:

* “International Human Rights Jurisprudence on Issues relating to Drug Use and Harm Reduction”:- Law and Health Initiative Open Society Institute New York. 15th March 2007. 24p. PDF;

* Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence – May-June 2007

* Largest U.S. Newspaper endorses random drug testing

* Random Drug testing spreads, one school a week

* White House and Cocaine – “never let anyone claim that supply side enforcement is effective without a very robust challenge – the evidence against this assertion is clear, overwhelming and acknowledged by all credible sources, official and independent”.

* Clinicopharmacotherapeutics of Benzo and Z Tapering using Diazepam

* Review Finds Ways of Helping Children of Drug and Alcohol Misusers

* Lakeview Health urges Focus on Dual Diagnosis
According to staff members of the Lakeview Health Center, a center for alcohol and drug rehab in Florida, after many years of research and development, dual diagnosis services for clients with severe mental illness are emerging as an evidence-based practice.

* Aussie ‘Ice’ cost escalates

* Family First go ZT on alcohol – Family First has unveiled a radical plan to tackle Australia’s binge drinking culture and spare future generations the cost of endemic alcohol abuse.

* UK Focal Point – Department of Health – Annual Reports

* Cops and Hippies worried over Chill in Nimbin– An unlikely alliance of NSW police and pro-marijuana campaigners is concerned about escalating violence fuelled by hard drugs in the northern NSW hippie town of Nimbin.

* Iraq: Drug abuse in children rising

Ice (crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride) information

Thanks to ADCA’s Weekly Web Watch:

Documentary

Four corners documentary ‘The Ice Age’  View it online:http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2006/s1593168.htm

Ice fact sheets

Australian Drug Foundation

http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/article.asp?ContentID=ice_crystal_methamphetamine_hy

NDARC

http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/NDARCFact_Drugs7/$file/ICE+FACT+SHEET+2.pdf

Online Article

Medical Journal of Australia online article

Gordian Fulde and Alex Wodak.  MJA 2007; 186 (7): 334-335

http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/186_07_020407/ful11359_fm.html

Free webcast – strengthening the AOD workforce

 The NSW Drug and Alcohol Workforce Development Council is running a one day seminar on Monday 14 May on Universities: Strengthening the Alcohol and Other Drugs Workforce.

You can access all the presentations from that meeting by registering FREE OF CHARGE via the link below, and/or also view the presentations on the day via the live webcast. 

SYMPOSIUM LIVE WEBCAST

Universities: Strengthening the Alcohol and Other Drugs Workforce

Monday 14 May – 8.45 am to 4.30 pm.

Encourage your colleagues to register now and to watch on Monday!

http://www.cli.nsw.edu.au/aodworkforce/

The website is now live. You can register to watch the live webcast anytime from now until the end of the symposium on Monday

Hear the views of leading agencies, professional associations, practitioners and researchers on preparing university graduates to work in the drug and alcohol field.

For tertiary education institutions, other education and training providers, and services with a role in growing the capacity of the broad drug and alcohol workforce – a day of advice, practical ideas and debate.

Ask questions of speakers in real time.

Find copies of papers and presentations.

E-chatter 2

With thanks to Drug Blog contributor Paul Gallagher, who posts to the ADCA update list with comprehensive links on current online news and debate in relation to AOD:

*Cannabis and Drug Abuse. How should schools respond?
http://povertydebate.typepad.com/addictions/

*Neurology may better Addiction Therapy:
Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, last night outlined a series of scientific findings which may revolutionize treatment for drug addiction.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=518533

*Tobacco HR;
http://www.ihra.net/TobaccoHarmReduction

*Nicotine may increase brain function;
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/04/04-24-07tdc/04-24-07dscihealth-01.asp

*Spiritual Programme to wean youth from drugs, alcohol;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=00062E81-9859-1631-8A6E83027AF1010E

*Toxicologist warns against new abuse threat:
An internationally recognised toxicologist at the University of Newcastle has warned of the dangers of abusing the drug benzylpiperazine.
Professor Alison Jones said benzylpiperazine was a “new drug of abuse” which could have serious clinical effects – similar to those of ecstasy to which it is structurally related.
The finding appears in a paper co-authored by Professor Jones in this week’s edition of the prestigious international medical journal – The Lancet.
http://www.aushealthcare.com.au/news/news_details.asp?nid=8810

*One in Four Freed Offenders fail to keep clean – Adelaide;
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21633029-2682,00.htmlhttp://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21633029-2682,00.html

*Warning on Lethal “Legal E”;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,,2066573,00.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,,2066573,00.html

*UK police want to ticket cannabis smokers;
http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/042607/news042607_19.htmlhttp://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/042607/news042607_19.html

*Readers offer support/advice for Uni lecturer who scored heroin for her son;
http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,2064530,00.html

*US cocaine purity increases, price drops;
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/04/27/international/i112643D63.DTL&hw=drugs&sn=001&sc=1000

*Mailing Information to at risk, reduced Binge Drinking by 10%;
Mailing a simple information pamphlet to interested drinkers in the general population reduced binge drinking by 10 per cent, and is a promising public health approach to reduce the health and social problems associated with heavy drinking, shows a new study led by the University of Alberta.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/uoa-hci042707.php

2006 IDRS reports now available

 Direct from NDARC’s Paul Dillon:

 “The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS, formerly known as the PDI) monitor the price, purity and availability and patterns of use of illicit drugs, as well as acting as an early warning system for emerging markets.

The findings of these two important monitoring projects are presented each year at the annual National Drug Trends Conference. Last year they were presented in Cairns, along with bulletins summarizing the findings. These bulletins can be found at the following weblink:

http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/PubBulletins

National and jurisdictional reports are written each year and have just been released. They are available free on the NDARC website in downloadable pdf versions at the following links:

2006 IDRS Australian Drug Trends Report
http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/IDRSReports

2006 EDRS Australian Report
http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/EDRSReports

2006 IDRS Jurisdictional Reports
http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/IDRSJurisdictional

2006 EDRS Jurisdictional Reports
http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/page/EDRSJurisdictional

If you would like to order a hard copy of any of these reports, please download a copy of the NDARC Order Form – Technical Reports and Monographs at the following link:

http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/OrderForms_2/$file/TECHNICAL+REPORTORDER+FORM.pdf

For further information on the IDRS or the EDRS, please contact Susannah O’Brien.

For further information on ordering NDARC Technical Reports or Monographs, please contact Margaret Eagers.