Prevention, community voices and lived experience were some of the topics discussed when Illawarra Drug Action Team recently guest tweeted for Croakey’s rotated, curated Twitter account @WePublicHealth using the hashtags #HealthNotHarm and #InvestInPrevention.
A summary follows below.
Illawarra Drug Action Team writes:
In a statement published on 10 October – World Mental Health Day – the Alcohol and Drug Foundation described the complex relationship between mental health and alcohol and other drugs.
“Not everyone with a mental health condition experiences an issue with alcohol and other drugs. And not everyone who drinks, or uses drugs, will experience mental ill health,” the ADF wrote.
But, approximately half of people who access treatment for alcohol and/or other drugs also have a mental health condition.
Community voices
Health not harm
A recent Cancer Council WA newsletter reports on the recent ABS data showing an increase in alcohol-induced deaths since 2021, which is the fourth year in a row that alcohol-induced deaths have increased in Australia.
The newsletter also reports on a recent review finding that “both exposure to alcohol related content and self-posting of alcohol related content [on social media] were positively associated with greater alcohol use”.
Read The Sydney Morning Herald article here.
Drug law reform
Last week, the NSW Labor Government introduced new laws that people in possession of illicit drugs will be fined – up to two times – instead of being charged as an offence.
“The scheme will encourage people who get a Criminal Infringement Notice to complete a tailored drug and alcohol intervention and, if they do complete it, then their fine will be treated as though it was paid.
“If the health intervention is not completed, the penalty will be enforced by Revenue NSW,” the NSW Government said in a statement.
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park added that “drug use and dependence are very much health issues and ones that are far better addressed through health support outside the courts and criminal justice systems.”
Read the ABC and Sydney Morning Herald articles referred to above for more information about NSW drug law reform.
Invest in prevention
More information about Preventure here.
Additional support
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
beyondblue: 1300 224 636
13Yarn: 13 92 76
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
QLife: 1800 184 527
Check-In (VMIAC, Victoria): 1800 845 109
Lived Experience Telephone Line Service: 1800 013 755
See Croakey’s archive of articles on commercial determinants of health.
