Drug and Alcohol Monthly Media Briefing

Media Releases

Alcohol

$10m in Community Projects to Reduce Risky Drinking (Gov) 6 August
Federal Government Must Take Control of Alcohol Labeling (ADCA) 16 August
AMA urges Government to introduce mandatory alcohol health warning labels (AMA) 16 August
Alcohol Health Warnings Protect Mums and Babies (CHR) 16 August
Make alcohol health warning labels mandatory, say experts (AER) 16 August
Health groups coalition calls for mandatory alcohol labeling (various) 16 August
Government must act on alcohol tax omission (NAAA) 28 August

Drugs

Prescription drug use among detainees: Prevalence, sources and links to crime (AIC) 19 August
Poly Drug Use A Challenge For Law-Makers (AIC) 19 August

Health

Promoting Good Health at Work: A National First (Gov) 11 August
Political donations undermine public health (PHAA) 9 August

Indigenous

Council appointed to promote Indigenous health (Gov) 11 August
36 New Indigenous Health Workers In Riverina (Gov) 24 August

Research

Australian Medical Research: Facts to Shape the Future (Research Aust) 1 August
Medicines delay hinders medical research and innovation (Research Aust) 19 August

Smoking/tobacco

Ending tobacco-linked political donations long overdue, health groups tell inquiry (ACOSH) 8 August
Opposition must stick to its word on plain packaging (Greens) 17 August
Committee backs Tobacco Plain Packs bill: Now let’s get on with it, say health leaders (ASH) 22 August
Advisory report into Tobacco Plain Packaging Legislation released (Gov) 22 August
Tobacco Packaging - The Answer Is Plain (AHHA) 23 August
MPs must see the Federal Governments secret legal advice (BATA) 23 August
World Leading Plain Packaging Legislation Passes House Of Representatives (Gov) 24 August
Plain tobacco packaging will support smoking cessation (AHHA) 26 August
World leading Plain Packaging Legislation passes House of Representatives (Gov) 25 August
Tobacco plain packaging will save health dollars (CHF) 25 August

Other

New CEO For Preventative Health Agency (AHHA) 23 August
Council of Australian Governments meeting communiqué (COAG) 19 August

ACT

ACT Gov reaches agreement on background checks laws (Gov) 2 August

New South Wales

Workshops to strengthen NSW Liquor Accords (Gov) 11 August
ACON Welcomes Continuing Stability In NSW HIV Transmission (ACON) 31 August
NSW HIV rates remain stable (NSW Gov) 31 August

Northern Territory

Kronic ban to take effect next week (NT Gov) 4 August
Territory correctional centres to be smoke free (NT Gov) 9 August
NT Government turning problem drinkers off tap (NT Gov) 9 August
Putting The Brakes on Grog Running (NT Gov) 18 August
Alice Community to Drive Future Directions (Gov) 23 August
Chief Minister addresses NT police association conference (Gov), 29 August

Queensland

Drink Safe Precinct trial delivering results for Queensland (QLD Gov) 20 August

South Australia

Healthy Workers - Healthy Futures (Gov) 17 August

Tasmania

Tackling Drug Addiction (TAS Gov) 30 August

Victoria

Coalition leads the way with new alcohol & drug strategy (VIC Gov) 9 August
Responsible Alcohol Victoria launches new website (VIC Gov) 10 August
New data reinforces need for alcohol and drug strategy (VIC Gov) 15 August
Alfred Hospital in danger of discriminating against alcohol and drug patients with card system (VAADA) 16 August
New laws now in force to combat public drunkenness (VIC Gov) 23 August
Bong ban to end Labor’s mixed message to kids and youth (VIC Gov) 29 August
Drugs strategy to help reduce overdoses (VIC Gov) 31 August

Western Australia

WA Government reacts to ban more synthetic cannabinoids (WA Gov) 5 August
Mandatory jail for drug offences against children (WA Gov) 14 August
Report shows lung cancer rates rising in women (WA Gov) 23 August

A selection of articles in the news

AIDs/HIV

Premature ageing the cruel legacy of HIV  3 August
HIV groups join PBS critics 10 August

Alcohol

Growers at odds with health experts over wine tax  2 August
Alcohol message ‘lost’  2 August
Coles bulks up for liquor war with arch rival Woolworths  3 August
Aggressive Aussie ladettes 'on the rise'  4 August
Fosters thinks ahead with friendly motto 8 August
Police blitz on pubs, clubs 9 August
Qld backwash needs tough law 9 August
Grog sales cut at Heartbreak Hotel 10 August
Drink driver numbers ‘appalling’ 10 August
Workshops ‘to reduce grog-fuelled violence, anti-social behaviour’ 10 August
Long hours tied to alcohol abuse 10 August
Task Force finds commercial liability an effective strategy to reduce alcohol-related problems 11 August
Average age of female drunks needing help is 36 15 August
Police crack down on sly grogging 15 August
Health bodies renew push for alcohol warnings  17 August
Alcohol health warnings 'alarming'  17 August
Greens push for volumetric alcohol tax  17 August
Shouts of hypocrisy over Cancer Council ball  21 August
iPods and alcohol blamed for rise in pedestrian deaths  22 August
Gold Coast police crack down on violent crime 22 August
Youth binge drinking: There's an app for that  24 August
Actions of a few taint alcohol industry  31 August
Drunk, deluded and in no condition to decide  31 August

Drugs

Newcastle addicts get help online  1 August
Nurses dealing drugs 1 August
WA mellow on cannabis  1 August
Police bust major Sydney drug ring with Central Coast 'Ice' arrest 3 August
NSW man charged over $12.5m of ice 3 August
Pure heroin linked to two deaths 4 August
Barnett’s new cannabis law ignores drug crisis 4 August
Bikers arrested after drug haul  4 August
900 Bikie arrests in SA over four years 4 August
Japanese show how it’s done 8 August
Better drugs from paper clips 8 August
Drug court success lauded 8 August
Illegal use of prescription drugs on the rise 9 August
Police smash ice, heroin smuggling ring 10 August
Drug dogs, Pontville Detention Centre and Refugees 11 August
Drug fiends on the nose 11 August
Top cop Standen guilty on drugs charges 11 August
Bali jail no hell hole says Aussie imprisoned for drugs 15 August
Data shows prescription drug overdoses is on the rise 15 August
Saliva tests could lick prescription drug abuse, says Roosters boss 15 August
Narcan saving lives of addicts 15 August
Your say: Methadone clinic cluster worries Frankston residents 15 August
Mandatory sentence for can lab injuries  15 August
NSW police launch officer drugs crackdown  24 August
Painkiller outbreak prompts calls to stop doc shopping  25 August
Drug kingpins busted  27 August
Loophole closed for marijuana smoking devices in Victoria  29 August
NSW firies blazing over drug tests  29 August
Scientists say ecstasy could treat cancer  30 August
Riding the Silk Road: the flourishing online drug market authorities are powerless to stop 30 August
Ballarat crime down, drugs, ag burg up  31 August

Families

Self help group for families of substance abusers 9 August

Health

Bishop rejects notion of influence buying 8 August
The public health crisis no-one wants to know about 10 August
Talking Health 11 August

Indigenous issues

Help for addicts all too remote 9 August
GG makes historic visit to Kimberley town 11 August

Mental Health

Smoking bans: A threat to mental health  2 August
Living in hell at subsidised rates 8 August

NSPs

Call for injection clinic on Gold Coast 4 August
Drug injecting centre sought 25 August

Prescription drugs

Pill popping worries Maroondah medics 23 August
Call for answers into high death rate from prescription drug overdoses  31 August

Prisons

Call to keep jails single-sex 8 August
Drug programs help cut prison numbers  29 August
Union stymies jail needle bid  30 August
Drug reform in jail: the pointy end of policymaking  31 August

Rehabilitation

Rehab saved my life, says Newton 22 August

Smoking/Tobacco

Campaign for cigarette tax rises continues  2 August
Big Tobacco fights for govt legal advice  3 August
Plain packs will cause shortage, says big tobacco 5 August
Carney, others given breach notices by roosters 10 August
Trademark bill for tobacco companies  17 August
Opposition's tobacco twist  18 August
Addiction to cigarettes catches up with women 23 August
Blacktown Workers Club fuming over smoking area ban  24 August
Leading Australians back plain packaging  24 August
Aussies lead world with plain cig packages 24 August

Sniffing

Chroming near Preston South Safeway spikes alarm 9 August
Monash high for inhalant abuse 15 August

Sports

Power comes from good sports 10 August
All in the mind: sporting bad boys need brain training to stay clean 5 August
Jockey drug binges rife, says insider who partied regularly with Katsidis 28 August

Youth

Drug court for children aims to turn young lives around 1 August
Danger in Hunter and Central Coast school yards 8 August
Babies born into drug addiction 9 August
Former drug dealer has advice for young people 11 August
Call to give kids drug lessons 15 August
More Hunter babies born addicted to drugs 18 August
Starved of their future at birth  22 August
Study targets teen drinkers  30 August

Other

New background check laws  2 August
Talking about homelessness 8 August
Transport safety crackdown targets louts 10 August
Customs reveals steroid abuse is skyrocketing 15 August
Cancer patients in denial over poor lifestyle choices  22 August
Man wants licence for cannabis medicine  23 August

International articles

Alcohol

Drinks industry grip on alcohol panel criticised 1 August
More than half of Americans drink alcohol: report  2 August
British women 17% more likely to get cancer 2 August
Binge Britain: The cost of treating liver disease to hit £2billion a year  22 August
Alcohol-related hospital cases soar 24 August
Alcohol reform announcement due 25 August
Punters could pay tax to cover cost of clearing up mess caused by binge drinking  29 August
Trying to dampen spirits with a glass of wine  31 August
Drinks industry needs to tighten up on social media marketing, report  31 August

Drugs

Brazilian gangs selling ‘Amy Winehouse brand’ cocaine 11 August
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing NASCAR team members charged with trafficking marijuana 11 August
Legalising drugs a solution to the violence? 17 August
Few Treatment Options for Afghans as Drug Use Rises  27 August
Analysis: New nadir in Mexican drugs war puts PAN in trouble 30 August
Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose  30 August

Smoking/Tobacco

Chew On This: Indians Trading Betel For Tobacco  16 August
UPDATE: Tobacco Firms Sue To Block FDA Graphic-Label Rule  16 August
Extreme Negative Anti-Smoking Ads Can Backfire, MU Experts Find 17 August
Smoking shisha: how bad is it for you? 22 August

Rehabilitation

Amy Winehouse genocide sparks swell in UK reconstruction hospital check-ins  21 August

Youth

Children aged four in Wales' A&Es for drink and drugs 22 August
Social Networking Sites Encouraging Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers, Reveals a Study  27 August
Children whose parents divorce 'more likely' to become binge drinkers  28 August
Under the Influence - Parents and Binge Drinking 29 August

Other

Governing New York by writing a check 4 August

Recently released reports

2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey report (AIHW)
AER Foundation launches model alcohol health warning labels (AERF)