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.
* 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
E-cigarette gets mainstream attention
Last weekend the Sydney Morning Herald ran an article on the E-cigarette. Seems a logical option, will be interesting to see if it become a mainstream treatment which demonstrable efficacy.
European Addictions Information Gateway
 ELISAD (The European Association of Libraries and Information Services
on Alcohol and other Drugs) have recently launched a new updated version
of their Internet Gateway to European websites on addictions at
http://www.addictionsinfo.eu/Â
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.Â
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:
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. “