Drug and Alcohol Monthly Media Briefing

Media releases

National

Alcohol

New inquiry into foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs) 10 Nov
New research highlights harms from mixing alcohol and energy drinks (FARE) 14 Coles declares war on liquor prices (Coles) 16 Nov
National Alliance supports Police in effort to reduce drunken violence, behaviour (NAAA) 29 Nov
Health groups bamboozled by government inaction on alcohol warning labels (Cancer Council) 30 Nov
Australian drug experts back Operation Unite (ADF) 30 Nov
Research shows industry regulated alcohol labels won't work (FARE) 30 Nov

Drugs

Methamphetamine use on rise (AIC) 3 Nov
Kronic, Spice, Meow Meow; new health info out on 'legal highs'  (ADF) 14 Nov

Indigenous issues

Education, jobs and tackling alcohol abuse the key to building stronger futures in the Northern Territory  (Gov) 14 Nov

Smoking/Tobacco

Amendments to Tobacco Plain Packaging Start Date (Gov) 2 Nov
Tobacco plain packaging – a triumph for public health (ACOSH and PHA) 10 Nov
Plain tobacco legislation will brand Australia: ‘gutsy’ in tobacco reform  (AGPN) 11 Nov
Parliament Passes World First Plain Packaging of Tobacco Legislation (Gov) 21 Nov
Australia’s historic win over tobacco pack advertising that sells death (ASH) 21 Nov
Coalition calls for small business plain tobacco pack moratorium (Liberal) 21 Nov

Sports

New research: Good Sports slashes drink driving risk by half (ADF) 29 Nov

Youth

ADCA Says Strong Messages Needed to Safeguard ‘Schoolies’ (ADCA) 18 Nov

Other

Gillard Government to deliver historic pay rise for social and community workers (Gov) 10 Nov
International Federation of Non-Government Organisations (IFNGO) 24th World Conference (ANCD) 16 Nov
Dates Set for Drug Action Week 2012 (ADCA) 23 Nov

New South Wales

Drugs and precursors worth $135,000 seized (Police) 7 Nov

Northern Territory

Labor’s Stronger Futures Legislation recognises four wasted years (Liberal) 23 Nov

Queensland

Minister calls in Cooktown residential rehabilitation centre (Gov) 2 Nov
Nineteen cannabinoids banned in lead up to Schoolies (Gov) 15 Nov

Victoria

Teen drinking law kicks in (Gov) 2 Nov

South Australia

South Australia alcohol and other drug strategy 2011-16 (Gov) 24 Nov

Tasmania

Never Give Up Giving Up (Gov) 14 Nov

Western Australia

Ex-drug users’ graphic stories lead campaign (Gov) 16 Nov
Alcohol-related harm drops in regional WA (Gov) 23 Nov

News articles

Alcohol

Say hello to your Sunday morning 1 Nov
Police roll out operations 7 Nov
Mayor hopes alcohol abuse report will prompt change 7 Nov
Link between alcohol, mental health issues 7 Nov
Alcohol spending to soar in five years 7 Nov
City considering more alcohol-free zones 8 Nov
Push for warning labels on alcohol 9 Nov
Programs say alcohol is principal drug of concern  11 Nov
Women suffer faster alcohol abuse damage 11 Nov
Alcohol price wars 17 Nov
Crime trend growing in Moorabool 21 Nov
Alcohol causes ‘one in five’ deaths by injury 21 Nov
Rule change is over the limit, association says 21 Nov
Victorian Premier Ted Bailieu to close drink-driving loophole 22 Nov
Injuries and illness from grog cost us millions 23 Nov
Gender equality: more Aussie women are driving drunk 24 Nov
Police to run Operation Unite this weekend 30 Nov

Drugs

The punishment must fit the crime, even for drug users 2 Nov
Ice high quality and available says study 3 Nov
Drugs rife in trucking industry: Judge 8 Nov
Sydney to get second drug court 9 Nov
Research reveals worrying male drug trends 21 Nov
Call for inquiry into drugs controversy  23 Nov
Bali teenager faces sentencing today 25 Nov
Dozens arrested in Sydney music festival 27 Nov
Illicit drugs worth $30 million seized in Sydney 29 Nov
'Get tough' laws benefit crime 30 Nov

Families

Declaring homes alcohol free could reduce violence 29 Nov

Gambling

Heroin addiction drug proposed for problem gamblers  22 Nov

Indigenous issues

$1.35m bill for signs attacked as a waste  1 Nov
‘Income management on steroids’ on the way 23 Nov

Mental Health

Mental health smoking ban set to be lifted 4 Nov

Prisons

Prisoners divided on jail needle program  23 Nov
Heroin inquest looks at prison sport 23 Nov
Push for jail needle exchange 28 Nov
Prison inmate Julian Knight challenges prison tobacco tax in Supreme Court 29 Nov
More drugs in jails as smugglers visit 30 Nov

Tobacco/Smoking

Plain packaging for cigarettes delayed for five months  2 Nov
Lung cancer cases among women in Australia rises 7 Nov
NSW government smoked out over tobacco donation 8 Nov
Tasmania passes tough new smoking laws 11 Nov
Under Fire: Big tobacco ready for plain packaging legal challenge 11 Nov
Authorities stub out e-cigs 20 Nov
Tobacco companies launching legal action to fight plain packaging laws 22 Nov
Tipping scales of credibility 24 Nov

Youth

Like this? 'Man I got soooo wasted last night!' 10 Nov
Synthetic drugs seized ahead of schoolies 18 Nov
Young men worst for drug disorders   21 Nov
School drugs hush claims 25 Nov

International

Alcohol

Anti-alcohol lesson from Scotland  1 Nov
Atlanta overwhelmingly OKs Sunday alcohol sales 8 Nov
Surge in alcohol abuse reported 8 Nov

Drugs

Painkiller overdose 'epidemic' strikes US  1 Nov
Cambodia arrests generals over drugs  1 Nov
Poppy seed destroyed by Aussie and Afghan Diggers in special operation 3 Nov
Reefer madness 6 Nov
Customs figures reveal dramatic drop in P-pill seizures 7 Nov
Study: whites more likely to abuse drugs than blacks 7 Nov
Synthetic marijuana linked to heart attacks in teens 8 Nov
Drug Tsar wants poppy map 21 Nov
Heroin purity warning for users 22 Nov
Supercommittee failed: legalize drugs and save billions 23 Nov
Ex-mayors call for an end to pot prohibition 24 Nov
Canadian PM not going to legalise marijuana 26 Nov
Possible opium in Massage parlours 27 Nov
Cooperation between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan to fight opium smuggling 28 Nov
Miley Cyrus reveals lack of awareness about marijuana side effects in offhand remark 28 Nov
UNODC reports illicit drugs funding SE Asia crime bosses 29 Nov
Philippines beg China to release man on death row  30 Nov
Anti-drug online gaming challenge to be launched 30 Nov

Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana laws creating pot fiends? What studies show 3 Nov
Medical Marijuana Supporters Rally in Sacramento Today  9 Nov
Legalising medical marijuana does not increase use among youth, says Rhode Island hospital  study 6 Nov
Governors Ask U.S. to Ease Rules on Marijuana  30 Nov

Pharmaceuticals

Canada regulating pharmaceuticals badly: report  22 Nov

Smoking/Tobacco

Smoking 'primes the brain for cocaine cravings' 3 Nov
Graphic warning cigarette labels blocked by judge 8 Nov
US warns retailers over cigarette sales to kids 11 Nov
Ex-smoker Obama: Quitting is hard 17 Nov
Moscow marks no-smoking day 17 Nov
Ban smoking in cars, doctors urge UK government 17 Nov
Smoking twins show why it is hard to quit 21 Nov
Tobacco firm gave thousands of pounds worth of  hospitality to nine MPs who opposed smoking bill 22 Nov
WHO slams tobacco firms for ‘harassment’ 24 Nov
Japan tobacco accused of marketing to girls at World Cup volleyball 24 Nov
Brazil bans smoking in enclosed spaces across nation 25 Nov
Studies show stop-smoking programs successful in helping smokers quit 28 Nov
U.S. Justice Department appeals order blocking anti-smoking images on cigarettes 30 Nov

Sport

British Olympic Association alone in drugs ban fight after Canada and New Zealand drop ruling 21 Nov

Youth

School alcohol project results in healthier and safer pupils 9 Nov

Recently released reports

 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2010 report: (AIHW)

New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Northern Territory

Increase in use of methamphetamine (DUMA)
Expenditure on health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2008-09: an analysis by remoteness and disease (AIHW)
Lung cancer in Australia in 2011: an overview (AIHW)