News

Most Aussies Support Medical Cannabis Ahead of Parliament Vote

04 June, 2015

A new survey reveals that more than two-thirds of Australians support the use of medical cannabis for people suffering from chronic pain and illness, says Adam Gartrell in a report for The Sydney Morning Herald.

The survey, which was conducted by Palliative Care Australia, found that 67 per cent of the 1006 people surveyed from across the country back medical cannabis, while only nine per cent oppose it.

The results of the survey comes as the Federal Parliament deliberates and votes on a cannabis legalisation bill this month. Once the bill, which has the backing of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, is approved, the production, distribution and use of medicinal cannabis will become the responsibility of the federal government.

Read the full story.

AU Drug Arrests and Seizures Hit Record High

03 June, 2015

The Australian Crime Commission has released its annual illicit drug data report, which reveals that law enforcement has achieved a record high in the last financial year in terms of drug arrests and seizures, says Dan Harrison and Fergus Hunter in a report for The Sydney Morning Herald.

According to the ACC report, illicit drug arrests in 2013-2014 reached 112,000, which reflects a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. Illicit drug seizures, on the other hand, were pegged at 93,000, a seven per cent rise on 2012-13.

These seizures include a single 10-tonne seizure of benzaldehyde, a chemical used to make methamphetamine or ice, in Victoria, which is facing a huge problem with the drug.

Click here to read the full story.

Some Facts About Illicit Drug Use in Australia

02 June, 2015

Studies have pegged Australia drug users in the world, but some facts about illicit drug use in Australia, like who is using which substances, or how often they use them, may surprise you. At least that’s what a report by Inga Ting for The Sydney Morning Herald is saying.

(more…)

Aussies Are World’s Top Illicit Drug Users, Says Study

01 June, 2015

A report by ABC News reveals that Australians are the top illicit drug users in the world based on the findings of the world’s first comprehensive study on global addictions.

The study, which was conducted by the University of Adelaide, says that in the last 12 months, more Australians have used cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamine-type drugs than any other people on the planet. The report says 10.3 per cent of Australians smoked cannabis at least once, three per cent used ecstasy, and 2.1 per cent used amphetamine-type drugs in the same 12-month period.

When it comes to alcohol use, however, Australia falls behind the United Kingdom and the United States, with only 3.7 per cent of Australians considered to have an alcohol use disorder. According to the report, 12.1 percent of Britons and 7.8 percent of Americans are having alcohol problems.

Click here to read the full story.

Self-Confessed Drug Addict Was Gainfully Employed The Whole Time

29 May, 2015

The Sydney Morning Herald has recently published an account by a woman named Virginia Perkins detailing her lifetime of drug addiction while being employed the whole time, virtually underscoring how much of a problem drug use is in the workforce in general.

(more…)

War Vs. Ice Epidemic Gets $800K Boost From ACT Government

28 May, 2015

The ACT government00 more to the fight against the ongoing ice epidemic, bringing the funding for its campaign against the drug to $17.2 million next financial year, says Tom McIlroy in a report for The Canberra Times.

According to Health Minister Simon Corbell, the funding boost is meant to help Canberra-based non-government organisations with their drug treatment and support service work.

The Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy will get $115,000 to help launch a pilot program for naloxone overdose management. The Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Association ACT, meanwhile, will receive $115,000 to increase its work capacity. Six other organisations that offer similar drug treatment and support services will get the rest of the funding.

Read the full story here.

Will Employers Encourage The Use Of Smart Drugs At Work?

27 May, 2015

Employers would naturally want their workers to be more productive, work longer, harder, and generally be more successful with their work. But if presented with an opportunity to make all these happen with pharmacological help, would employers bite, at the expense of any workplace drug policy they might have in place?

(more…)

Drug Testing in the Workplace As a Health and Well-being Issue

26 May, 2015

Compared to a decade or so ago, workplace drug testing is already commonplace these days. Yet the practice remains a touchy issue for many people, with claims of unfair dismissal or any other litigious reason attached to practically every single sacking that involves drugs or alcohol. In most cases, workplace drug testing is often seen by employers as an instrument for terminating employees who fail them. There are camps, however, that believe workplace drug testing should be treated as a health and well-being issue.

(more…)