Monthly Archives: February 2008

Kevin Rudd’s binge drinking obsession

I thought the write up on Crikey summed up the issue perfectly:

“Bernard Keane writes:

Booze. Gambling. P-rn. It’s everywhere, at epidemic levels, apparently, but luckily our politicians are on the case, ready to shake their heads in dismay and demand tougher regulation of stuff that’s nobody else’s business.

Even under the crusty conservatives of the Coalition, it’s hard to recall a moral panic being whipped up as fervently as Kevin Rudd, Steve Fielding and Nick Xenophon are managing at the moment.

Rudd is claiming binge drinking is a “worsening epidemic” that is “getting out of hand” and needs to be urgently addressed. Steve Fielding, best known for using his PC in Parliament House to Google for p-rn, also thinks it’s a “huge” and “growing” problem, and has got up a Senate committee to consider his private member’s bill to restrict alcohol advertising.

But as Richard Farmer pointed out yesterday, there’s no evidence for any of this. Indeed, in historical terms the early twenty-first century is probably one of the most sober periods in western history in the last five hundred years. But you won’t hear any of that in the mainstream media’s reporting – inevitably replete with footage of inebriated teenagers – of Rudd’s dire warnings.

With a similar lack of interest in evidence, Minister for Zeroes and Ones Stephen Conroy has been busy trying to get Labor’s plan to regulate the internet up and running via ISP-level filtering to block child p-rn and “violent websites”. Conroy’s plan, which makes the previous Government’s unworkable Netalert program for PC-level filters look benign, should do wonders for Australia’s already quicksilver broadband speeds. But according to the Minister, the only people opposed to it are kiddy fiddlers.

And incoming senator Nick Xenophon isn’t waiting until July to get stuck into gambling (or, as it should be known, taxation for innumerates), pushing for a new set of restrictions on poker machines and gambling venues. Not to be outdone, Steve Fielding wants to impose a tax on them too.

All this is music to the ears of pressure groups and lobbyists who rely on public funding. Leading the charge on binge drinking was Professor Margaret Hamilton from the National Council on Drugs, an anti-drug body established and funded by the Howard Government and currently headed by former Liberal senator John Herron. According to Hamilton, the mere act of having a drink on a Friday evening sends the wrong signal to Australia’s youth. Daryl Smeaton of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation – of which anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello is a director — also backed Rudd’s binge drinking warning.

These people doubtless do fine work in addressing the impact of alcohol abuse (however defined) or gambling addiction, but are also beneficiaries of the funding that will inevitably flow from Government efforts to be seen to Do Something. They have a vested interest in encouraging state interventionism in their chosen fields.

Then again the media also has an interest in hyping social problems. Drunken teenagers and gambling addicts make for great copy. Everyone loves a moral panic”.

Needle and Syringe Programs and Bleach in Prisons: Reviewing the Evidence

I noticed this interesting synopsis on the Update list yesterday and though it was worth passing on – the debate over NSP has raged non-stop for over twenty years now – is there likely to ever be a ceasefire?

“Full URL
http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=1285

Conclusions

A substantial amount of scientific evidence has shown that NSPs in the community are the most effective intervention available to prevent HIV transmission associated with injecting drug use. As well, NSPs have been associated with increases in access to care and treatment among people who use such programs, and with substantial cost-savings. The concerns raised about NSPs have been shown to be unfounded. NSPs have not led to increased levels of risk behaviour among people who use the programs or increased drug use by people who inject drugs.

An important and growing body of evidence demonstrating the success of prison-based NSPs also exists. Since the early 1990s, the number of NSPs established in prison settings has steadily grown. There are now in excess of 60 prisonbased NSPs in nine countries. While existing quantitative evaluations of NSPs have some limitations, overall the program evaluations have been highly and consistently favourable. NSPs in prison have been associated with a substantial reduction in needle and syringe sharing, and there have been no recorded cases of HIV infection among prisoners participating in an NSP.

Additional benefits observed include reductions in overdose incidents and deaths, an increase in referral to drug treatment programs, increased awareness of infections transmission and risk behaviours, and a reduction in injection-site abscesses. Significantly, none of the adverse consequences projected by some have been found. In particular, there have been no incidents in which syringes or needles from NSPs were used as weapons against guards or inmates, drug use has been stable or has decreased, and there has been no increase in injecting drug use among prisoners. In general, NSPs have been accepted by prison staff, including staff that was initially opposed to such programs. Bleach programmes should be available in prisons where authorities continue to oppose the introduction of NSPs, and to complement NSPs. However, because of bleach’s limited effectiveness, such programmes can only be regarded as a second-line strategy to NSPs and cannot replace NSPs.47

From a public health perspective, piloting and rapidly expanding NSPs is a priority for responding to the dual epidemics of injecting drug use and HIV infection among prisoners. To date a number of outbreaks of HIV among prisoners in the fSU have been documented.Given the evidence of entrenched epidemics of injecting drug use and HIV infection in prisons in many countries in Eastern Europe and the fSU, it is clear that further inaction on the part of prison officials will result in increased morbidity, including HIV infection, and mortality among people who inject drugs in prison. Moreover, the failure to implement NSPs could result in spread of HIV infection among the prison population as a whole, and could potentially lead to generalized epidemics among people in communities into which prisoners are released. Such further spread of HIV would lead not only to greater suffering for affected individuals and their families, but also would result in substantial, avoidable health care costs”.

Mental Health Coordinator (Sydney N.S.W.)

Manly Drug Education and Counselling Centre

Position Vacant

Mental Health Coordinator

56 hours per fortnight (3 year contract)

The Manly Drug Education and Counselling Centre (MDECC) is inviting applications from qualified individuals for the new position of Mental Health Coordinator.

MDECC is a non-government organisation based in Manly. The Centre provides drug treatment programs and a range of health promotion interventions. MDECC is funded by NSW Health and supported by the local community. MDECC operates within a Harm Reduction philosophy relative to alcohol and other drug use. The successful applicant will be a mental health professional with recent program development experience.

Qualifications and Experience Required

Essential

· Tertiary qualifications in psychology, health, or social sciences.

· Demonstrated recent mental health promotion experience.

· Demonstrated drug and alcohol knowledge.

· Previous application of harm reduction principles.

· Recent program development experience.

· Excellent communication and consultation skills.

· Current NSW driver’s licence.

Desirable

· Postgraduate qualifications in a related field.

· Knowledge of EEO policies and practices.

Enquires: Kerri Lawrence, Manager 9977 0711

Information Package: Sue Hoyle, Office Administrator 9977 0711

Applications to: The Manager, MDECC, 91 Pittwater Road, Manly 2095

Applications Close 29th February 2008

News of substance – drugs in the worldwide news

1. The Wall Street Journal – Boost for Off-Label Drug Use. “The Food and Drug Administration wants to allow drug companies to give doctors information about unapproved uses of prescription drugs, a controversial move that is already drawing objections from Capitol Hill”.

2. reporterherald.com – Residents start coalition to educate, protect community from meth use. “In a seventh-grade health class, among handmade pinwheels and colorful posters, a group of 12- and 13-year-olds learned about the realities of methamphetamine”.

3. Phillipine Daily Inquirer – Drug use in schools not that bad — DepEd. “Less than one percent — not 10 percent as earlier reported — of the more than 8,600 public and private high school students tested positive for illegal drug use, according to the Department of Education. The random drug tests were conducted during school year 2005-2006 by the Department of Health and the Dangerous Drugs Board in coordination with the DepEd”.

4. CBS News – Obama’s Drug Use Debated. “Decades before Sen. Barack Obama was a leading candidate for the presidency, he was a lot like many University of Florida students: young, intelligent and curious. That college-aged curiosity led him to use alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, decisions that have now become points of contention in his campaign”.

5. The Age – Behind The Wire. “WHEN Karen took a job at Victoria’s largest female prison, she was stepping into the unknown. She had never even been to a jail when, in September 2005, she was appointed a senior manager at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum security prison with 260 women. Their crimes ranged from child murder to drug dealing”.

6. The Dallas Morning News – Man who hands out clean needles in San Antonio threatened with jail time. “Bill Day doesn’t fancy himself an outlaw – and with his Mr. Rogers demeanor, he definitely doesn’t look the part. But soon the 73-year-old could spend up to a year in jail for breaking a law that he considers immoral. Mr. Day hands out clean needles to drug addicts on some of the seediest streets, because he’s convinced that it reduces human suffering by slowing the spread of HIV”.

7. The Guardian – UK pharma fears for investment as govt acts tough. “Britain’s drugs industry, which has already shed hundreds of jobs in the past year, could lose more investment if the government fails to ensure a fair pricing environment, according to the head of its trade association. Richard Barker, director general of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said the Department of Health and the industry needed to agree a realistic new long-term pact as quickly as possible”.

8. ABC News (USA) – Popping Pills Latest Trend in Teen Drug Abuse. “Popping Pills Latest Trend in Teen Drug Abuse”.

9. Jamaica Gleaner – Former drug addict on a new high – Anthony Richards hooked on rescuing off-track males. “Anthony Richards’ father died when Anthony was very young; his mother migrated to England soon after. As a result, he and his siblings went to live with different relatives; he and a sister with an aunt. It was a stable Christian upbringing with a high school education. Upon graduation, he felt the need to work instead of continuing his education. He joined the police force, which he served for nine years, eventually becoming a detective”.

10. Arab Times – United effort needed to prevent drug addiction. “KUWAIT (KUNA): Psychological, social, and religious efforts must unite to achieve the prevention and treatment of drugs above, an official said Thursday. Head of the Juvenile Care Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Abdullateef Sinan told KUNA called on families not to isolate their drug-addicted children for the sake of protecting their reputations, but to take them to specialists as soon as possible to solve their problems”.

Cannabis and Lung Cancer

I noticed a posting on ADCA’s Update list yesterday that quotes an interesting study showing a correlation between cannabis use and increased risk of lung cancer. Nothing particularly surprising about that – it’ll just be interesting how the research will be used by different ideological camps to promote their cause…

“Cannabis use and risk of lung cancer: a case–control study

S. Aldington*, M. Harwood*, B. Cox#, M. Weatherall”, L. Beckert*, A. Hansell+, A. Pritchard*, G. Robinson* and R. Beasley*,1 on behalf of the Cannabis and Respiratory Disease Research Group

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to determine the risk of lung cancer associated with cannabis smoking. A case–control study of lung cancer in adults <55 yrs of age was conducted in eight district health boards in New Zealand. Cases were identified from the New Zealand Cancer Registry and hospital databases. Controls were randomly selected from the electoral roll, with frequency matching to cases in 5-yr age groups and district health boards. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to assess possible risk factors, including cannabis use. The relative risk of lung cancer associated with cannabis smoking was estimated by logistic regression. In total, 79 cases of lung cancer and 324 controls were included in the study. The risk of lung cancer increased 8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2–15) for each joint-yr of cannabis smoking, after adjustment for confounding variables including cigarette smoking, and 7% (95% CI 5–9) for each pack-yr of cigarette smoking, after adjustment for confounding variables including cannabis smoking. The highest tertile of cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (relative risk 5.7 (95% CI 1.5–21.6)), after adjustment for confounding variables including cigarette smoking. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that long-term cannabis use increases the risk of lung cancer in young adults. KEYWORDS: Cannabis, case–control, lung cancer, tobacco Eur Respir J 2008; 31: 280–286 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00065707 Copyright ERS Journals Ltd 2008".

The ATOD sector responds to the apology

“NIDAC welcomes the apology to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generation

The National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC) applauds the new Australian Government for their step today in acknowledging the harm caused by the policies of the past that created the Stolen Generation.

The long awaited formal apology from the Australian Government today in Parliament is a crucial step that paves the way for Indigenous people who were taken from their families. This will enable Indigenous Australian to regain their dignity and to walk alongside other Australians in creating a better future for all of our children.

Associate Professor Ted Wilkes Chair of NIDAC says “It has been over 10 years since the report Bringing Them Home revealed the extent of forced removal, which lasted into the early 1970s; its consequences and impact on families were devastating for those who lost not only their children, but had their physical and mental health, their connection to land, their culture and language destroyed, causing enormous distress to many victims today.

It is a day where all Australians can share their sorrow. In doing so, it provides hope to unite efforts in helping Indigenous Australians achieve their goals and aspirations.

This apology and yesterday’s first welcome to country by the Australian Parliament demonstrates the Australian Government and the Parliament as a whole understands the need for a commitment to Indigenous Australians to provide a safe, meaningful and promising future for all Australian children. It is a step we must all take as parents and as a community.”

NIDAC, as the leading voice in Indigenous drug and alcohol policy remains committed to working with the Australian Government to continue this journey by addressing the drug and alcohol problems that seriously impact on Indigenous families today.

Information on NIDAC can be found on www.ancd.org.au/nidac“

News of substance – drugs in the worldwide news

I thought I’d start a new weekly roundup of drug news hitting the mainstream media. Daily Dose does a brilliant daily roundup but my one will cast a wider net and will also include some video links where possible. As always, feedback welcome!

1. Science Daily – HIV Drugs, Abacavir And Didanosine Increase The Risk Of Heart Attack, Study Suggests. “A study to assess the adverse effects of anti-retroviral drugs shows that two of the widely used HIV drugs are associated with an increased risk of heart attack/the formation of blood clots in the heart. With the use of Didanosine; the risk of developing a heart attack increases by 49%, with Abacavir; the increased risk is 90%. The effect is most pronounced in patients with a high underlying cardiovascular risk. The research findings also show that the adverse effect is reversible, if patients discontinue use of these particular drugs”.

2. The Economic Times, India – Fake drugs market growing at alarming rate: ASSOCHAM. “NEW DELHI: With sale of fake and spurious drugs continuing unabated in the country, industry body ASSOCHAM said the market is growing at an alarming rate of 20-25 per cent, which has already exceeded the Rs 15,000-crore per annum mark nationally”.

3. The Telegraph, UK – GPs ‘increasing’ prescription drug addicts. “Doctors are fuelling the number of people hooked on prescription drugs by giving patients highly addictive medicines for longer than they should, a parliamentary inquiry is expected to conclude. GPs are ignoring official guidelines that state patients should not take powerful tranquilisers such as Valium for longer than four weeks, the all-party group on drugs misuse will claim later this year”.

4. Science Daily – Sex, Drugs And Alcohol: Parents Still Influence College Kids’ Risky Behavior, Study Shows. “New research shows that parents influence their child’s likelihood of involvement with drugs, alcohol and risky sexual activity even after their child leaves for college”.

5. The Press Association, UK – Drug treatment spending examined. “The scale and effectiveness of spending on drug treatment is to be the subject of a wide-ranging report in Scotland. And ministers admitted that a “rethink” is needed on the national approach to the drugs problem”.

6. Times Online, UK – ‘Suicide rating’ could be given to every new drug licensed in UK. “Every new drug licensed in Britain will be given a “suicide rating” under proposals for a big shake-up in the rules governing pharmaceutical development. European regulators are also to require pharmaceutical companies to include a comprehensive suicide assessment into trials of new medicines”.

7. Manila Times – Education key to effective
illicit-drug policy–envoy. “Making drug use a crime is no guarantee that there will be fewer drug users, an envoy said. “By making something taboo, you make it more attractive,” said Dutch ambassador to the Philippines, Richard Brinks, in an exclusive roundtable interview with The Manila Times recently. “Repressive policies just make people more curious””.

8. Nigerian Tribune – Meet Victoria Kokobi, Indian hemp dealer who disguised as garri merchant. “For Victoria, a 62-year-old grandmother, garri business is hard and not lucrative when compared with sales of marijuana. For several years, she has been involved in the trade, using garri as a cover up, but recently, the eagle eyes of the officials of the NDLEA got her”.

9. news.com.au – ‘Just Say No’ to drugs approach has failed. “ALL sport stars have one thing in common. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, David Beckham: they all have the rare gift of perfect timing. So it came as no surprise that AFL superstar Ben Cousins held a press conference on Wednesday in Sydney to discuss his drug problem at exactly the same time that news came through that Maharishi Yogi, the Indian guru to the Beatles, had died. Meanwhile, the medical report into the death of Heath Ledger was being handed down”.

10. The Observer, UK – Legal drug craze is new killer. “Alex is a man who prides himself on sticking to routine. He likes to start the day with a large cappuccino from Starbucks and to end it with a handful of anti-depressants washed down with vodka. ‘It’s my treat after coming home from work,’ he says. ‘I guess it just chills me out a little'”.

11. YouTube.com – Spiders on drugs:

Finally – an accurate viewpoint on Heath Ledger’s death

I saw this well-put summary of the circumstances surrounding Health Ledger’s death and it’s a view the mainstream media are unlikely to take the time to explore:

“The New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s Office found that Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of prescription medications including painkillers (oxycodone, hydrocodone (not available in Australia, but widely abused in the US as Vicodin and other brand names), sleeping pills and antianxiety pills (temazepam, alprazolam, diazepam), and doxylamine, an antihistamine used to treat insomnia, and available over-the-counter.

The New York Times quotes Dr VG THakkar, a psychiatrist at NYU Medical Center as saying “Six different sedative drugs in Heath Ledger’s system show something was amiss. Whether that was in taking combinations of drugs without proper medical guideance or sloppy prescribing, it was an unfortunate situation and with a tragic outcome.”

As many Update list participants would know, combinations of tranquillisers, hypnotic drugs and opioid analgesics account for many accidental drug-related deaths in people using pharmaceutical drugs inappropriately.

Don’t we need a national strategy to address this distinctive and complex problem?”

The first post-Howard TV ads to screen

Noticed this press release today and although I’m a big fan of money being spent on prevention, it’s good to see the treatment sector getting some coverage. I’m assuming the specific reference to Dubbo alludes to this press release being sent all across regional areas and they forgot to remove ‘Dubbo’ from the broadly distributed one:

“NEW ANCD TELEVISION COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT PROMOTES TREATMENT

People who have issues with alcohol or drugs are being urged to seek help and get treatment as a new campaign from the Australian National Council on Drugs gets underway, highlighting the simple message ‘treatment works.’

Statistics now show over 230,000 children live in households where they are at risk of exposure to at least one adult binge drinker. 1.5 million people aged 14 and over drink alcohol daily and Australia has an estimated 300,000 daily users of cannabis aged 14 and over.

Anyone in the Dubbo area who has issues with alcohol or drugs – and wants to get help – is being urged to go to www.ancd.org.au where there will be an extensive range of phone numbers to assist people – the numbers will link people to organisations who are out there offering advice on where and how to access treatment services for people with alcohol or drug problems.

The ANCD highlights that there are now thousands of people around the nation in treatment programs at the current time run by an incredible variety of agencies helping people tackle issues and addictions. The ANCD points out that treatment programs can offer many gains for people and their families as they tackle their problems and achieve their goal to break free of their dependence.

Dr John Herron – Chairman of the ANCD – said ‘It’s now time for the community to be much more aware that treatment can make a huge difference in people’s lives. Treatment works.’

As part of the new awareness campaign a special television community service announcement which has been funded by the Humanity Foundation (a national philanthropic organisation that has a special interest in drug and alcohol issues) has been launched highlighting the message ‘treatment works’.

Dr John Herron said ‘There’s just no question that thousands of Australians right now have problems that they are not tackling. It is estimated that there are over 40,000 people dependent on heroin , 73,000 Australians dependent on methamphetamines (including ‘ice’) and over 50,000 Australian children living in a household where an adult is using an illicit drug.’

‘The message just hasn’t got through enough – and it needs to – because it is simple – treatment works. If you know somebody who is struggling, give them a hand or talk to them and support them – and urge them to take some action by talking to one of the many fine and professional help centres listed on the ANCD website. Every journey starts with a first step.’

‘Tens of thousands of people have treated their substance dependency problems. Although many believe that their problem is too severe or too difficult to treat, the reality is that there are many different types of treatment and assistance available and everyone has the potential to overcome their problems. On the ANCD website you can also access many real and positive stories of people who were in the depths of despair and never thought they could get their lives back together… and have now overcome their problems.’

‘By getting treatment you may become part of a support group. You are also likely to come across people on similar journeys who want to deal with their alcohol or drug problems. You are then being treated in an environment where people understand that you have a big journey ahead – and they want to help you achieve the goal.’

‘Treatment certainly can be a difficult process. It may be that it doesn’t work the first time, or even the second or third time as many people may relapse and need several attempts at treatment to resolve their issues. Clearly this can be disappointing for the person and their family. Dependence and its underlying issues can be very complex and difficult, however we do know that when people start this journey they will learn and grow from each episode of care and treatment they undertake and this will ultimately help them reach their goal.’

‘Research shows clearly treatment ultimately is the best place to put money when it comes to dealing with alcohol and drug problems. As far back as 1987 the RAND cooperation in the USA did important research on where it is best to invest funding to reduce drug use in a community. The results were very clear. Putting money into treatment is a tremendous investment for the community with not only less drug use but also less people turning to crime to fund their substance dependency.’

‘The members of the ANCD and I have visited many treatment centres across the country and we are never failed to be impressed by the quality of care and the level of dedication of staff working in these agencies – they are indeed extraordinary people doing extraordinary work for many people and their families and friends. They help people to get their lives back and they help people to heal problems. So many people that have been through treatment will tell you they feel better and look better and their relationships improve – because they’ve achieved the vital goal of getting control of their lives back. The first step is to seek the help and that’s why our simple message is ‘treatment works’.

To find out more we urge people to go to www.ancd.org.au”

It’ll be interesting to see if the role and/or focus of the ANCD changes with the new government. So far it appears it’s very much business as usual.

Counselling Unit Manager – Sydney NSW

“The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC)

Uniting Care’s licence to operate the MSIC was recently extended by the NSW Government to 31 October 2011. The MSIC is now seeking to recruit a committed and experienced health professional to join its Management team.

Counselling Unit Manager (32 – 40 hpw)
(Salary dependant upon qualifications)

As well as supervising the counselling staff members of this unit, this position will share responsibility for policy development and implementation, and service planning, coordination and evaluation initiatives at the MSIC. It also has significant direct clinical care components.

Secondments from Area Health Services will be supported.

Applicants need to address all of the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the relevant job description in their applications.
For a job description and information pack please email:
traceyb@sydneymsic.com. Position enquiries: Ms Colette McGrath, Clinical Services Manager, (02) 9360 1191.

Closing date 15/02/2008
Previous applicants need not re-apply”