An article written by Claire Tyrrell for The West Australian reports an incident which clearly illustrates how unreliable employees who abuse drugs can be. A truck driver who failed a roadside drug test conducted by police just quit his job and left behind the horse transport truck he was driving and its cargo.
A group of construction bosses in Queensland is pushing for the implementation of mandatory drug tests on building sites to curb the worsening ice problem in the construction industry, says Daryl Passmore in a report for The Courier Mail.
Drivers in Victoria who are caught under the influence of both drugs and alcohol in their system are bound to face much stiffer penalties, says Josh Gordon in an article for The Age.
The Australian government may be at the forefront of the battle against the worsening ice problem in Australia, but Ken Lay, head of the anti-ice taskforce formed by PM Tony Abbott, says communities across Australia should do their part too, and the Commonwealth should find ways to help them.
Various interest groups have told a parliamentary inquiry into the drug known as ice that the Australian government’s campaign against the drug is leaving users stigmatised, says Bridie Jabour in a report for The Guardian.
One of the biggest health problems in Australia today is alcohol abuse, and Australians need to tackle this problem now, says Brian Owler in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald.
As a doctor, Owler said he has had to personally deal with the consequences of alcohol abuse, including injuries from accidents as well as violence—domestic or otherwise—that is triggered by alcohol abuse. He also stresses out that alcohol abuse could lead to a number of medical conditions such as cardiovascular problems, liver disease, sleep disorders and even cancer.
The cost of alcohol is also quite high. According to Owler, the economic costs of alcohol abuse can be pegged between $16 billion to $36 billion.
Tackling alcohol abuse, says Owler, would require parental oversight and responsibility as well as the implementation of more stringent policies by both federal and state governments.
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Apparently, drug traffickers will use anyone, even the elderly, just so they could smuggle ice into Australia. According to a report by Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop and Jeanavive McGregor, this MO was uncovered following the death of a Gold Coast grandfather in China, where he was arrested with nearly 1.9 kilograms of the drug methamphetamine.
In the wake of the positive ice drug test on the race horse named Shockaholic, Australian Trainers’ Association president Robbie Griffiths says a drug testing programme for horse trainers’ staff should be taken into consideration.