Drug and alcohol review
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2008
The size and mix of government spending on illicit drug policy in Australia.
To estimate how much governments in Australia spend on reducing and dealing with illicit drug problems. ⋯ Several insights result from estimating these expenditures. First, law enforcement is the largest drug policy component, with Australian governments also spending significant amounts on treatment and prevention programmes. Secondly, apart from the prevention component, Australia's drug policy mix is strikingly similar to recent international estimates. Finally, expenditures associated with dealing with the consequences of illicit drugs are large and important for assessing drug-related public sector expenditure.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2008
Ready to drinks are associated with heavier drinking patterns among young females.
To report patterns of use of ready to drinks (RTDs) and to assess if RTD consumers have heavier drinking patterns. RTDs were introduced in 1995. ⋯ RTDs were most popular among young people aged 14-17 years, and females. RTDs predicted higher typical occasion alcohol consumption and heavier drinking better than any other beverage for females aged 14-17 years. For the other age and gender groups, other beverages predicted higher quantity and frequency consumption.
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Southeast and East Asia has become a global hub for methamphetamine production and trafficking over the past decade. This paper describes the rise of methamphetamine supply and to what extent use of the drug is occurring in the region. ⋯ While the peak of the methamphetamine epidemic has passed in parts of Southeast and East Asia, attention is needed to minimise the potential consequences of spreading methamphetamine production, trafficking and use in the Mekong region and in the peninsular and archipelago of Southeast Asia.
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Drug and alcohol review · May 2008
Comparative StudyCharacteristics and harms associated with injecting versus smoking methamphetamine among methamphetamine treatment entrants.
To compare the characteristics and harms associated with injecting and smoking methamphetamine among methamphetamine treatment entrants. ⋯ Within this treatment sample, smoking methamphetamine occurred among both long-standing injecting drug users and a comparatively younger group of non-injecting drug users. It was associated with less severe methamphetamine dependence than injecting, but more intense use patterns and similar levels of other harms.
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Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2008
The development of peer educator-based harm reduction programmes in Northern Vietnam.
Injecting drug use remains an important risk factor for transmission in Vietnam, with an estimated 50% of the 290 000 people living with HIV/AIDS reporting injecting drug use as a risk factor. Despite this, effective harm reduction interventions are generally lacking. This paper describes the implementation of peer-based harm reduction programmes in two rural provinces of Vietnam. ⋯ Peer-based delivery of harm reduction intervention is acceptable. Harm reduction interventions, including needle and syringe programmes, are feasible and acceptable in these two rural Vietnamese provinces. Community acceptance and uptake of these interventions is key to successful expansion across the region. Active participation by families of drug users seems crucial. This initiative demonstrates that despite a difficult policy environment, peer-delivered needle and syringe programmes are feasible within a rural Asian environment as long as there is adequate local political and community support.