Cannabis, or marijuana, is the most widely used illegal drug in Australia, especially by young people. Marijuana is a potent and complex drug with a number of properties which can have applications for both recreational and medical purposes. This drug's various side-effects include damage to physical and mental health and dependence. What exactly are the harms of recreational marijuana use, and how are its use, cultivation, and possession currently dealt with under Australian laws? What are the potential medicinal benefits in relation to relieving suffering for people with chronic and terminal illness? And what are the legal obstacles in Australia to introducing medicinal use, while at the same time banning it from recreational use and supply? This book explores the facts about cannabis use, looking at the drug's known side-effects and potential medical benefits. Can cannabis help as much as it can harm?
Methamphetamine is a drug which can cause substantial harms; particularly the purest and most potent form of it, commonly known as 'ice'. What exactly does methamphetamine do to your body and mind? This book explores current trends in methamphetamine use in Australia, and reveals the health and social impacts of the growing ice scourge, featuring information on related crime and violence, psychosis, addiction, withdrawal, treatment and recovery. The book also explains the latest government responses to tackling Australia's ice problem through policy, law enforcement and public awareness initiatives. The risks of using this drug are many, and the best approach is to never try it; how can we encourage young people to avoid becoming victims of the 'ice epidemic'?
Tobacco smoking is one of the largest preventable causes of death and disease in Australia. It is associated with an increased risk of a wide range of serious health conditions and is responsible for around 15,000 deaths each year. Although smoking rates have decreased over the past 15 years, 2.6 million adult Australians still smoke daily. Why do so many people continue to take up such an addictive and deadly habit; what are the ways in which they can quit smoking? The increasing uptake of e-cigarettes is seen by some to help people quit smoking and reduce harm, and by others (including the government) to be an inducement to take up smoking, particularly by young people. How safe is 'vaping' and what are the arguments for and against e-cigarettes? Australia is a world leader in tobacco control, having introduced initiatives such as the banning of advertising, imposing a tobacco excise, and mandating smoke-free environments and plain packaging. Is the fight against Big Tobacco being won? In spite of these interventions, why do so many Australians let their health go up in smoke?
Alcohol consumption is widespread within Australia and is associated with many social and cultural activities, where it is frequently consumed at harmful levels. Binge drinking and excessive long-term alcohol consumption are significant causes of injury, addiction, ill health, violence, crime, family breakdown, road accidents, lost workplace productivity and death in Australia. What are safe drinking levels according to the latest guidelines, and what are the immediate and long-term risks of alcohol consumption? This book also explores how can we prevent the harmful impacts of excessive alcohol intake and promote responsible drinking choices, especially among younger people. What social and health-based strategies can be used to arrest Australia's longstanding booze binge?
Harm reduction entails policies, programs and practices aimed at reducing the harms associated with the use of psychoactive drugs in people who are unwilling or unable to stop. The focus is on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself. Harm reduction has been a principle of Australia's approach to drug use for several decades. However, recent overdose deaths and hospitalisations at music festivals have highlighted the clear harms of illicit drug use and prompted a debate over the introduction of pill testing, with political leaders being reluctant to implement the measure. This book explores the ethical, legal and medical pros and cons in the debate, with a topical focus on pill testing. Does pill testing give young people a false sense of security and promote further risky drug use, when there is really no safe level at which these substances can be taken? Or are harm reduction approaches such as pill testing and needle and syringe programs simply about saving lives and giving people a safety net? In a perfect world, no one would risk their lives by taking party drugs - but in reality, is harm reduction too bitter a pill to swallow?