Drug and Alcohol Monthly Media Briefing
Media Releases
National
Alcohol
Alliance of leading health groups converge on Parliament House to put alcohol pricing on Tax Forum agenda (NAAA) 6 July
New Consumer Messages on Alcohol Products (DrinkWise) 11 July
Alcohol labels must contain the facts (AERF) 12 July
Alcohol industry tables soft warning labels (ADF) 12 July
Alcohol health labels must be tougher (AMA) 12 July
Alcopops - has the tax worked? (AMA) 17 July
“Alcopop tax” working, but more evidence based reform needed to reduce harmful drinking (ARACY) 18 July
Drugs
Using technology to stop drug couriers at our airports (Gov) 4 July
Cannabis-Like Drugs to be Outlawed (
Smoking
100,000 NRT Scripts Filled to Help Australians Kick the Habit (Gov) 4 July
No Smoking? No brainer! (NRHA) 5 July
Great day for lawyers, bad day for taxpayers (Plain Pack) 5 July
New plain packaging legislation a milestone for tobacco control (PHAA) 6 July
Leading the World on Tobacco Plain Packaging (Gov) 6 July
Tobacco industry forced to ‘turn over a new leaf’ (AGPN) 6 July
Come clean, no butts! (Ms Roxon) (Liberal) 6 July
Second Liquor Licence buyback in Alice Springs (Gov) 21 July
Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix - Parents are making the switch (DrinkWise) 24 July
New campaign tells smokers to get real about smoking (Quit) 24 July
Smoking down, mixed results for alcohol, illicit drug use up (AIHW) 25 July
Smokers Butting Out in Droves (Gov) 27 July
Smokers quitting but no room for complacency (ASH) 27 July
New information on Varenicline (Champix) inconclusive: NPS (NPS) 20 July
Other
ANCD Committees Announcement - 4 July 2011 (ANCD) 4 July
New Chair for the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Gov) 20 July
NSW strengthens alcohol and gambling training (Gov) 4 July
Syringe Disposal Made Easy (NSW Gov) 13 July
$30M to Fast-Track Cancer Research (NSW Gov) 15 July
New Direction for Cancer Research in NSW (NSW Gov) 15 July
Government moves to ban dangerous new drug (NT Gov) 6 July
Gapuwiyak VSA Plan a Regional Health Milestone (NT Gov) 26 July
Queensland Drug Action Plan launched (QLD Gov) 5 July
The results are in: Drink Safe Precincts get thumbs up (QLD Gov) 20 July
Rise of prescription drug use calls for pharmaceutical monitoring system (VAADA) 4 July
Victoria secures deal for innovative anti-cancer drug project (VIC Gov) 20 July
Campaigner breathes new life into Quit messages (VIC Gov) 24 July
Leading Lawyer for Alcohol and Other Drugs Tribunal chair (NT Gov) 7 July
Tackling anti-social behavior through Liquor Accords (TAS Gov) 12 July
Morton welcomes Federal ban on synthetic cannabinoids after WA lead the way (WA Gov) 8 July
Time is up for cannabis users, dealers and growers (WA Gov) 17 July
A selection of articles in the news
Alcohol
Tough new grog laws hit wall of confusion 4 July
Takeaway grog initiative helps cut crime 5 July
Five sober weekends in a row? Must be what death feels like 5 July
Haunting reality of alcohol confronts community 6 July
Alcohol prices 'need reform' 6 July
Cheap wine threatened by tax plan 6 July
Cheap wines worry doctor 11 July
Health labels: Are we getting the message? 13 July
Don’t base policy on crapulous alcohol statistics 13 July
Booze trade comes cleanish 13 July
The hangover: alcohol's in-built conversation starter 13 July
Booze superstores spark alarm 22 July
AHA lashes council for its night vision 22 July
Time for a happy ending, say booze experts 24 July
Drinkwise 'used' by alcohol companies 24 July
Few cheers for alcohol consumption idea: 27 July
Proposal for hospital bar shocks experts 25 July
Binge drinking more harmful for girls – study 17 July
Academic says alcopops tax curbing binge drinking 18 July
Stats Bureau's Facts trump 'Tired' Alcohol Control Policy: ALSA 18 July
Drugs
Decriminalisation an option in an unwinnable war 1 July
Sex, drugs, and Bob’s on a roll 2 July
Abuse of prescription drugs on rise 4 July
Delays hit Hume drug help service 7 July
Synthetic cannabis set for national ban 7 July
Barely a sniff of trouble, so Greens say it's time to call off the dogs 9 July
Taskforce to focus on guns and drugs 11 July
Outback drug traffickers take to air 13 July
Raids seize $44m in drugs 14 July
Minister issues kronic ban reminder 14 July
War to end war on drugs gains allies on right flank 17 July
Jail, hefty fines for small cannabis users 17 July
WA premier praises tougher drug penalties 18 July
Pot smokers more likely to use other drugs 19 July
Pause in pot prevents progress to other drugs: study 19 July
Warning PBS row will stall drugs 20 July
Australians' use of prescription painkillers needs attention 20 July
Bali Nine lawyer welcomes online campaign 20 July
Gold Coast 'the crime capital of Australia' 21 July
Dependent on development: why we’re losing the war on drugs 26 July
Special forces bust Afghan drug network 27 July
Mental Health
Billions more for the mentally ill but the buck stops elsewhere 13 July
Rehabilitation
A farm with a difference 12 July
Moreland Hall cash boost revives drug aid 26 July
Smoking
Smokers queuing up to break the habit 3 July
Plain-packaged cigarettes to drive customers away from local stores, report claims 4 July
Anti-smoking drug linked to heart problems 4 July
Plain packaging goes to parliament 6 July
Why is Deloitte's name on junk tobacco research? 6 July
Anti-smoking push gains momentum worldwide 9 July
Big tobacco accused of sneak plain pack campaign 11 July
Smoking's effect on unborn babies revealed 22 July
One third of smokers think cigarette health risks exaggerated, survey finds 25 July
Aboriginal suicide in spotlight as summit opens 26 July
Prisons
Woman smuggled tablets into jail 4 July
Ex-chaplain tells inquiry of drugs in jails 20 July
Australia's health care in prisons under fire 23 July
Prisoner operated drug ring from jail 26 July
Indigenous Issues
Latest chapter ignores the fatal flaw in Territory intervention 5 July
Bush camp 'unfit for humans' 21 July
Other
Does the nanny state know best? 9 July
Wowsers the real cancer in society 10 July
Doctors want action to curb patient violence in hospitals 18 July
Truants as young as six left home alone 24 July
Australians smoking less, doing more drugs 27 July
International articles
AIDS/HIVMillions will die if India stops AIDS drugs - U.N. (Reuters) 5 July
Alcohol
Save our young, faith leaders told 5 July
Alcohol advertising ban 'no matter what' (South Africa) 5 July
Binge-drinking couples more likely to be aggressive (NZ) 5 July
Wine alcohol strength 'systematically' understated on labelling (UK) 5 July
The teetotal generation: Increasing numbers of teenagers are refusing to buy into binge-drinking (UK) 6 July
Thailand world-class drug and alcohol rehab, gambling and sex addiction treatment center to open 6 July
Movie drinking scenes boost alcohol use: study (NZ) 7 July
Deaths involving alcohol on the rise 13 July
Criticism over alcohol labels 'ironic' - brewery 14 July
Lyon aims to reduce Le Binge Drinking 17 July
Nudging not enough to tackle obesity and binge drinking say Lords 19 July
Are drinking guidelines adequate regarding the risk of cancer? 19 July
Chinese culture encourages binge drinking in middle-aged men 20 July
Well Woman and Prenatal Visits Should Include Alcohol Abuse Screening 20 July
Healthy alcohol limits likely to be increased 25 July
Drugs
Psychiatrists call for action to tackle substance misuse in older people 4 July
The U.S. Needs a Drug Policy That Works Much Better 8 July
Rights groups fear wave of deaths as Thailand faces new drugs crackdown 10 July
EU aims to clamp down harder on designer drugs 11 July
Obama Cracks Down On Medical Marijuana 12 July
Jump in Burma's opium production 13 July
Effects of prenatal drug abuse 15 July
Drug prohibition fuels crime, hurts society 16 July
Mephedrone is more popular than ecstasy among UK clubbers despite being banned 17 July
Stimulant addiction from bath salts causing serious and long term problems 18 July
Mexican army burns crops of huge marijuana farm 19 July
Study probes link between pot, crashes 21 July
Swaziland AIDS activists march for drugs 22 July
Study explores factors for misuse of prescription opioid in young injection drug users 25 July
Former Mexican president urges legalizing drugs 27 July
Rehabilitation
Residencies multiply in addiction medicine 10 July
Smoking
Tobacco 'is No 2 expense for Indonesian poor' 5 July
Fewer people see heavy smoking as high risk: survey 21 July
Recently Released Reports
National Opioid Pharmacotherapy Statistics Annual Data collection: 2010 report (AIHW)
Expenditure on health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2008-09 (AIHW)
1st Medically Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence Roundtable Report