Category Archives: AOD in the news

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”.

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:

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.