Drug and alcohol review
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Drug and alcohol review · Nov 2006
ReviewCivil society-a leader in HIV prevention and tobacco control.
Many civil society organisations (CSOs) have been at the forefront of identifying new ideas and implementing innovative models regarding health and health systems around the world. Their activities become highly charged, however, when they engage in advocacy efforts designed to influence change in policies and systems linked with more controversial or complicated public health issues. Policies, laws and regulations regarding illicit drugs and tobacco fall directly into that category. ⋯ This leadership role has helped influence and shape policy, especially in recent years. This paper examines civil society's involvement in efforts to change drug and tobacco policy in selected countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU). It concludes that in Poland and Kazakhstan, in terms of tobacco control, and increasingly in Ukraine and parts of Central Asia in terms of harm reduction, multi-sectoral approaches are the most effective way to engage citizens and to implement comprehensive strategies to change behaviour by supportive measures, not punitive ones.
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Drug and alcohol review · Nov 2006
ReviewInternational trade agreements challenge tobacco and alcohol control policies.
This report reviews aspects of trade agreements that challenge tobacco and alcohol control policies. Trade agreements reduce barriers, increase competition, lower prices and promote consumption. ⋯ Advocates must recognise the inherent conflicts between free trade and public health and work to exclude alcohol and tobacco from trade agreements. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has potential to protect tobacco policies and serve as a model for alcohol control.
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We report here on the illicit drug situation in six Pacific nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The report is based on the 'Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in Asia and the Pacific', commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee. The situational analysis was a comprehensive desk-based review; data sources included published and unpublished literature and information from key informants. ⋯ Drugs such as heroin, methamphetamines and cocaine are not used commonly due to their high cost compared to the average income. Currently, there is no overall regional or country-based illicit drug policy for the Pacific and few treatment programs; limited data exist to aid in understanding illicit drug use and the harms associated with its use in the Pacific. This review highlights the urgent need for strategic alcohol and drug research in the Pacific as a foundation for the development of policy.
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Drug and alcohol review · May 2006
The role of remote community stores in reducing the harm resulting from tobacco to Aboriginal people.
The objective of this study was to assess the potential for reducing the harm resulting from tobacco use through health promotion programmes run in community stores in remote Aboriginal communities. The Tobacco Project utilised data from 111 stakeholder interviews (72 at baseline and 71 at follow-up after 12 months) assessing presence of sales to minors, tobacco advertising, labelling and pricing. It also involved the assessment of observational data from community stores and comments obtained from 29 tobacco vendors derived from community surveys. ⋯ All stores had unofficial no-smoking policies in accessible parts of the store. Remote community stores complied with existing legislation, aside from allowing access of minors to vending machines. There may still be potential for proactive tobacco education campaigns run through community stores and for a trial assessing the effect of changes in tobacco prices on tobacco consumption.
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Drug and alcohol review · May 2006
Stopping petrol sniffing in remote Aboriginal Australia: key elements of the Mt Theo Program.
Petrol sniffing is a major form of substance misuse in Aboriginal communities across Australia. This practice has detrimental effects on the health and wellbeing of individual sniffers, their families, communities and wider society. ⋯ This paper looks at the Mt Theo Program, regularly cited as 'the success story' in petrol sniffing interventions. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate key elements that have contributed towards Mt Theo Program's rare achievement: (1) initially, a multi-faceted approach including an outstation and youth programme, (2) community-initiated, operated, owned basis of the organisation, which incorporates (3) strong partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous team members and (4) an ability to operate beyond crisis intervention.