Drug Media Survey needs your thoughts
From Caitlin Hughes at the University of NSW:
The Drug Policy Modelling Program at the University of New South Wales has been funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to conduct a study into Australian media reporting on illicit drugs. As part of the study we have developed a short online survey to examine youth attitudes to media reporting.
The survey is completely anonymous and we are targeting anyone aged 16-24 who lives in Australia. Our goal is to hear from a broad spectrum of youth: people from cities and rural Australia, from NT, WA, NSW etc and drug users and non-users. We’d appreciate your help to promote the survey in anyway you can: through blogs, email alerts, links on websites or word of mouth. This is the first major study of its kind in Australia and indeed it is also unique internationally and so we are seeking as broad and representative sample as possible.
The survey is available at www.drugmediasurvey.com.
ANCD National Drug Strategy: call for input
Via the ANCD:
As you would be aware there is currently a consultation process in place regarding the development of the next National Drug Strategy, with details on the consultation located at:
http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/
To assist in any submission you may be developing I would also like to draw your attention to this new page on the ANCD website that provides a single point for easy access to all current and past national strategies and evaluation.
http://www.ancd.org.au/government-policy/government-policy.html
2010 National Drug and Alcohol Awards
I received the following info today. Although awards ceremmonies can be a little trite, the ability for all ATOD professionals to vote and the need for greater recognition of the work we all do, makes this a very worthwhile initiative.
Celebrate Your Success at the National Drug and Alcohol Awards 2010 in Brisbane:
Pencil Friday, 25 June 2010 in Your diaryThe Ted Noffs Foundation is pleased to advise that arrangements are well advanced for the staging of the National Drug and Alcohol Awards (NDAA) 2010 in Brisbane on Friday, 25 June 2010. Ted Noffs Foundation will be working with Drug Arm Australasia in hosting the awards.
Hosting the 2010 Awards on behalf of the Coordinating Committee comprising the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA), the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD), and the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF), Ted Noffs has secured The Sebel & Citigate Hotel in King George Square in Brisbane as the venue.
Now in its seventh year, the Awards not only honour the dedication and innovation within the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) sector, but also recognise excellence in a range of areas. In addition to the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence, and the NDAA Honour Roll that recognises eminent Australians who have dedicated their lives to reducing harms caused by AOD misuse, a new Award Category “Excellence in Creating Healthy Sporting Communities” has been included for 2010, and is proudly sponsored by the Australian Drug Foundation.
This Award seeks to recognise best practice across the community sporting and recreation sector for the responsible management and prevention of harm relating to alcohol and other drugs. The Award is open to all community sports clubs, codes or associations.
Professionals and researchers will also be able to apply for recognition in the following AOD categories:
Excellence in treatment and support
Excellence in prevention and community education
Excellence in research
Excellence in services for young people
Excellence in law enforcement,
Excellence in alcohol and drug media reporting
Excellence in school drug educationFollow-up information regarding the updating of the NDAA website at www.drugawards.org.au will be advised in mid-January 2010. This will focus on the various Award Categories, a web-based nomination form, opening/ closing dates for entries, table reservations/ tickets for the Awards Dinner, accommodation options in Brisbane, and strategic sponsorship partnerships.
For more information contact either Jagdish Dua at Ted Noffs, Phone 02 8383 6621, Email duaj@noffs.org.au; or Brian Flanagan, Phone 02 6215 9802, Email brian.flanagan@adca.org.au.
Impact of methamphetamine price on use: new study
Saw this message from the NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General:
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in collaboration with the Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre has today released the following report:
How do methamphetamine users respond to changes in methamphetamine price?
One of the core objectives of supply-side drug law enforcement is to reduce drug use by raising the cost of buying drugs.
The effectiveness of this strategy depends on how illicit drug users respond to the rise in costs. The aim of the current study was to estimate how methamphetamine users would respond to changes in the price of methamphetamine and heroin
using a scenario-based research design.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
I couldn’t think of a more worthy piece to pass on, from Australia’s FASD advocacy body:
Today 9/9/09 is the 10th Anniversary of International FASD Awareness Day – The 9/9 was first choosen because 9 is the number of months of pregnancy when alcohol consumption can cause permanent brian damage. .
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is an umbrella term used to describe a range of adverse effects caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial FAS (PFAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) or Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD)
FASD is not a label – it is a medical condition and a serious lifelong disability. Prevention, diagnosis and intervention are critical public health issues that require a high degree of planned action at a policy and service delivery level in order to reduce harm.
While International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day is recognised throughout the world NOFASARD would like to reflect on the current situation in Australia:
- Children, adolescents and adults with FASD have multiple and complex needs that are currently not being met and this is resulting in poor life outcomes including social exclusion
- FASD rarely appears in Australian research or policy documents where it should be receiving attention.
- FASD does not appear on the government list of registered disabilities?
- There are no Australian Clinical Guidelines for diagnosing FASD and there are no Government funded specially trained interdisciplinary diagnostic teams.
- There is no Medicare number for rebate for the diagnosis of FASD
- Despite having very similar needs, individuals with FASD do not receive the same level of care and funding as those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Individuals with FASD will be over-represented amongst those with drug and alcohol dependency issues yet most treatment programmes offered by service providers are not appropriate for this population.
- There is no national standard of care for individuals of any age with FASD – they are seldom treated effectively or fairly and they are seldom connected to service dollars.
- FASD is NOT just an Indigenous issue – FASD will be find wherever alcohol is part of the culture and exists across all social groups – the majority of individuals with FASD who are on NOFASARD’S data base are non-Indigenous.Families with affected children have waited long enough – they are desperate and their children are suffering. Families are tired of their pleas falling on deaf ears and they are tired – they need action and they need it now.
- At a minimum there needs to be at least one specially trained interdisciplinary diagnostic team in each state of Australia
- Families want to see collaboration and a greater understanding of FASD in the education, disability, drug and alcohol, health, mental health and justice systems and they want these systems to work with them, instead of against them or separate from them.
- Families who have FASD want to be consulted – they have the benefit of the wisdom that comes from practice and they are the experts when it comes to knowing what are the current gaps and inadequacies in the systems and so if we are to have any chance of addressing the best interests of those who are directly impacted, there needs to be a government sponsored forum that enables wide consultation at the grass roots level.
- Families need policy makers to understand that their children with FASD don’t grow out of their disability as they get older – they grow up to be adults with FASD who will need targeted integrated support services throughout their whole life if they are to achieve any level of sustained function.
- Families need an immediate commitment from government to provide the same level of funding as has already been provided to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to enable children, adolescents and adults with FASD to have access to specifically targeted service delivery.
- FASD must be included under the Commonwealth list of registered disabilities so that families don’t have to continually fight for services from the education, health, disability, social service and justice sectors.
ADCA Strategic Plan now available
This document will guide ADCA’s work over the next 3.5 years. The new Strategic Plan has been developed in close consultation with the ADCA Board, State/ Territory AOD peak organisations, and Chairs of ADCA’s Working Groups.
Professor Robin Room, President of ADCA, has emphasised that ADCA, in order to be successful in its strategic approaches, will have to continually monitor its own operations, as well as the AOD sector and political development to ensure that it remains responsive to changing needs, and its actions are aligned with ADCA’s strategic direction.
To view the full document, visit http://www.adca.org.au/content/view/37/64/ and click on the link to view the strategic plan in Adobe Acrobat PDF.
International Program in Addiction Studies Program and IPAS scholarships
Applications for the International Program in Addiction Studies will close in a few weeks. The exciting online master of science program that is taught by The University of Adelaide, VCU and King’s College London will commence in August 2009.
For the first time, the program can also be taken as part-time over two years. Also six special IPAS scholarships will be available that pay 50% if the tuition. Apply now and make sure all your reference letters and original transcripts are received in Adelaide by July 15th. Let us know if you are preparing an application so we can help you. More information on: www.adelaide.edu.au/addiction.
New UK-based daily news service
The Daily Dose email news service for ATOD professionals has been around a lot of years, and it now has a competitor: DS Daily. It’s part of the independent, UK-based DrugScope:
We are launching the service both as part of our core commitment to the provision and dissemination of up to date information and in support of our role as a membership organisation for the sector.
We are also very pleased to announce that Jim Young, formerly Editor of Daily Dose, has joined our DS Daily team.
We are very keen to receive your comments about the new service which you can send to Jim at jimy@drugscope.org.uk
Drug Action Week 2009
It’s that time of year again:
Register now for Drug Action Week
28 May 2009Final registrations are now being taken for Drug Action Week 2009 which runs from June 21-27 focussing on the theme Alcohol is a drug – TOO!
Drug Action Week is coordinated by the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) and aims to highlight issues related to the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol and other drug issues, and to recognise those who work in frontline support services in the alcohol and other drugs sector.
Hundreds of activities have already been registered on the Drug Action Week website www.drugactionweek.org.au and promotional packs are being sent out across the nation to support events in local areas.
“We’ve had an enthusiastic response to this year’s Drug Action Week, and are pleased to see many creative activities organised to foster community debate about the harms that come from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, “said ADCA Chief Executive Officer David Templeman.
Activity organisers are encouraged to register now, in order to take advantage of the free promotional packs. The website www.drugactionweek.org.au also has ideas for events, tips on organisation and community involvement, fact sheets and downloads which are all available free of charge.
Each day during Drug Action Week 09 will have a particular focus;
• Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Community (Monday June 22)
• Prevention and Treatment (Tuesday June 23)
• Indigenous People/Rural Australia (Wednesday June 24)
• Binge Drinking (Thursday June 25)
• Comorbidity (Friday June 26)Drug Action Week 2009 begins Sunday, 21 June and concludes on Saturday, 27 June – incorporating the National Drug and Alcohol Awards (NDAA) at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday 26 June.
www.drugactionweek.org.au
Smoking ‘Smarties’
I’ve run across a rather interesting video that shows a young person demonstrating how to ’smoke’ what he calls ‘Smarties’. They’re not the chocolate variety Australians know, but this type known as a ‘candy wafer roll’.
The video:
Although it seems a fairly harmless thing, the mimicking of smoking behaviours can’t be desirable. Or could it be a great harm minimisation technique? 