Blogs

Drugs in Prison: Number of Qld prisoners testing positive doubles as jailed addicts turn to prescription opiate buprenorphine

ABC News reports on the rising use of prescription opiates in QLD prisons, with comments by NDARC Director Michael Farrell.

The number of Queensland prisoners testing positive to drugs has doubled in the last year, with a prescription opiate known in prison as "subbies" increasingly becoming the drug of choice.

Experts say Queensland has the nation's worst access to drug treatment programs, and figures obtained by the ABC show desperate prisoners are smuggling in buprenorphine, which, like methadone, is used to treat drug dependence.

Multilateral approach needed to address ice problem

A recent report released by The Australian Crime Commission highlighted increasing availability of crystal methylamphetamine (ice) and the involvement of serious and organised crime has prompted Prime Minister Tony Abbott to establish an ice taskforce.

The taskforce, to be led by the former Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay, will develop a co-ordinated approach to education, health and law enforcement surrounding ice use.

NDARC Director Michael Farrell has welcomed a multi-lateral approach to the problem.

Six reasons Australia should pilot ‘pill testing’ party drugs

The death of 19-year-old Georgina Bartter at a music festival on the weekend from a suspected ecstasy overdose could possibly have been avoided with a simple harm-minimisation intervention. Pill testing, or drug checking as it’s known in Europe, provides feedback to users on the content of illegal drugs, allowing them to make informed choices.

Medical cannabis: what's the evidence?

There’s been many a headline of late about the use of cannabis for medical purposes, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Members of Parliament in various states declaring their support for such use. In NSW, Premier Mike Baird has announced a clinical trial of medical cannabis.

A Q&A with Dr Edmund Silins about cannabis research

Last month NDARC researchers published a very high-profile paper about the path people’s lives can take if they are heavy users of cannabis when they are very young.

What regular drug users are taking in 2014 - a podcast

NDARC surveys nearly 2000 drug users every year to gather data on what drugs people are using; on the price, purity and availability of illicit drugs in Australia; on the harms associated with drug use; and to detect any other trends or changes happening in Australia’s illicit drug markets. These surveys are conducted by NDARC’s Drug Trends team, led by Associate Professor Lucy Burns.

On The Daily Mail's reporting of cannabis research

Professor Wayne Hall conducts cannabis research

"Cannabis as addictive as heroin" announced the headlines in The Daily Mail (UK) and The Telegraph (UK). The news outlets were reporting on a paper published this week in the journal Addiction which reviews the last 20 years of research into the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use.

But the headlines were misleading, as author of the paper and NDARC conjoint Professor Wayne Hall explains:

Young cocaine users have heart health of 60 year olds

Investigators of the effects of cocaine on the heart: Shane Darke, Sharlene Kaye, Rebecca Kozor and Gemma Figtree.

NDARC was lucky enough to host a presentation by cardiologists Professor Gemma Figtree and Dr Rebecca Kozor on 21 August about the effects of cocaine on the heart.

Quick fixes don't work for heroin dependence

NDARC's 11 year study of heroin users - the longest running study of heroin users ever undertaken in Australia - is nearing completion. Professors Maree Teesson and Shane Darke spoke to ABC Television's Lateline program about their landmark findings, including what treatments have proven most effective at tackling heroin dependence.

The perfect storm: alcohol, drugs, and depression

Robin Williams and alcohol, drugs, and depression

It’s undeniable that Robin Williams brought much joy and laughter to the world, but he also talked openly about his depression and problems with alcohol and cocaine.