illicit drugs

The Illicit Drug Use Going Unnoticed

When bringing up the subject of drug use in Australia, people’s minds often go to ‘the usual suspects’: alcohol, cannabis and ecstasy. These three drugs usually get the most attention, and because of heightened media exposure (currently), methamphetamine (including ice) often gets a mention too. However, Australian’s use of all these drugs is either steady, [...]

The War On Drugs Have Failed – Time To Stop Fighting And Start Thinking

When the world’s nations committed to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) last year, they probably weren’t thinking about drugs. But they should have been. Without effective drug control strategies, marginalisation, poverty and inequality will persist in societies. Evidence shows that prohibitionist approaches have not worked – from 1998 to 2008 the number of people using [...]

Alcohol, Schoolies and Setting Limits with Our Teens 

Research tells us clearly that teens and alcohol don't mix. (In fact, medical studies routinely suggest that humans and alcohol don't mix!) One in ten teens have a regrettable sexual experience related to alcohol consumption. One in five injure themselves while drunk. And the earlier our kids start drinking, the greater the risk of alcohol [...]

Debunking the Ice Epidemic

The ice epidemic! New stories, new perspectives every day in the news. But what is really happening? Are we facing an ice epidemic? I want to begin by highlighting the truths and myths of ice use in Australia. Let’s start with the latest research. According to the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 2.1% of [...]

They Know More Than Me

“They know more about drugs than I do …”  Paul Dillon Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) One of the most common fears for anyone who works with young people is they believe the adolescents they have contact with know more about illicit drugs than they do. The catch-cry is usually something like [...]

Online Cannabis, Ecstasy Sales Booming: Silk Road, Drugs, Internet

Researchers examining the ways illicit drugs are bought and sold through the internet have discovered a sharp rise in the number of people using the online market place to sell Australians cannabis and ecstasy. The study, by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, is the first to monitor sellers of illicit drugs to Australians. [...]

Magic mushrooms’ psychedelic ingredient could help treat people with severe depression

Drugs derived from magic mushrooms could help treat people with severe depression. Scientists believe the chemical psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms, can turn down parts of the brain that are overactive in severely depressive patients. The drug appears to stop patients dwelling on themselves and their own perceived inadequacies. However, a bid by British scientists [...]

Tips for telling if someone you know is doing drugs

If you suspect that someone you know or love is taking drugs then there are some signs and symptoms to look out for. There are many reasons why people get involved with drugs; many will need professional help in order to overcome their addiction. Here are some tips on what to look for and where [...]

Net Savvy: Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP)

Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) The Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) is run out of the Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW in Sydney. The aim of DPMP is to create valuable new drug policy insights, ideas and interventions that will allow Australia to successfully respond to illicit drug use. The unit itself conducts multiple [...]

Alcohol harms society more than drugs

A UK study has found that consuming alcohol is more destructive than taking drugs in the long term for both drinkers and society as a whole. The study was paid for by Britain's Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and recently published online in the medical journal The Lancet. Experts in the UK studied the effects [...]

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