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TAG CLOUD
June 29, 2012
DOVETAIL UPDATE
We are pleased to advise that Dovetail has received confirmation of our funding into the foreseeable future. We'd like to thank all the agencies that we've worked with over the last three years and look forward to continuing our efforts supporting frontline youth, AOD and health workers and their communities in our collective work with vulnerable young people across the state.
Posted in: Training & Events
June 29, 2012
DOVETAIL LAUNCHES LATEST GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE: LEGAL AND ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF PRACTICE
The team here at Dovetail are very excited to announce the launch of the latest in our series of good practice guides. "Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Practice" has been a mammoth undertaking. It's a complex area of practice and one which many workers throughout Queensland have requested assistance with. The guide covers issues such as consent, Gillick Competence, confidentiality as well as issues relating to the various ethical dilemmas which can arise through our work with young people experiencing alcohol and other drug concerns. Further good practice guides are in the pipeline so stay tuned. Queensland based workers can order hard copies of the guide free of charge by emailing info@dovetail.org.au or you can download an electronic copy here.
Posted in: Treatment Tools
June 29, 2012
MEASURING DRUG USE THROUGH WASTEWATER
The Australian Institute of Criminology have published a report titled "Measuring drug use patterns in Queensland through wastewater analysis". This paper provides an analysis of drugs and their metabolites in sewerage, in order to estimate population prevalence of drug use. In this report, a regional Queensland town with a population of 150 000 people is examined. This research is in its early days and there remains some problems with the estimates (especially where assumptions are made regarding standard doses of illicit drugs). Still, this remains an interesting and potentially useful way of measuring rates of drug use in a population.
"Measuring drug use patterns in Queensland through wastewater analysis" (730KB PDF)
Posted in: Research
June 29, 2012
STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS
An article has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia titled "Welcoming Addicts". The article describes a scenario in an emergency department, where a young man under the influence of methamphetamine is described by staff as "A total waste of our time and resources." The article goes on to explore some of the myths around drug use which feed this type of stigma. Following the article are a range of comments from medical professionals: some supportive, some less so.
June 22, 2012
A HANGOVER AND A ONE-NIGHT STAND
Youth Studies Australia have published a research report which looked at young women's experiences of binge drinking and risky sexual behaviour. The report focused on young women at university, and unsurprisingly found high rates of binge drinking. Of the sample, 23% reported four or more occasions of heavy drinking per month. The study also found that alcohol use was associated with "negative" sexual behaviours, with more frequent or heavier alcohol consumption associated with increased chances of engaging in risky sexual activity.
A Hangover and a One-Night Stand (794KB PDF)
Posted in: Research
June 22, 2012
FUEL, CARS AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF PETROL SNIFFING
Maggie Brady, well known for her work looking at inhalant use in Australia, had an article published in "Humanities Research" last year which we think deserves a mention. Titled "Fuel, Cars and the Geography of Petrol Sniffing", the paper looks at the history of petrol sniffing as it spread throughout Australia. The paper also covers early attempts at addressing petrol sniffing, with alternative fuels like Avgas being trialled in some communities. This paper provides probably the best historical account of the development of petrol sniffing across Australia.
Fuel, Cars and the Geography of Petrol Sniffing
Posted in: Research
June 22, 2012
ALCOHOL RESOURCES FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
The University of Sydney has launched a series of resources addressing alcohol use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The "Alcohol Awareness Kit" contains a number of different posters designed to highlight the impacts of alcohol, and to promote responsible drinking. Some of the resources also provide information on alternatives to alcohol and strategies to assist in reducing or ceasing alcohol use.
Posted in: Treatment Tools
June 15, 2012
HANDBOOK FOR ABORIGINAL ALCOHOL AND DRUG WORK
The National Indigenous Alcohol and Drug Conference (NIDAC) was held last week in Fremantle, Western Australia. A number of important developments were announced at this conference, but one which we think deserves particular mention was the launch of "The Handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work". This guide has been written for Aboriginal health workers and others working with this population. It covers all elements of alcohol and other drug work, including specific drug information, but also information on mental health, prevention, harm reduction, legal issues, community-wide approaches and much more. It is a significant piece of work which has been a long time in the making. Electronic copies of the resource are available for download.
Download "The handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work" (3.9MB PDF)
Posted in: Treatment Tools
June 15, 2012
REFORMING THE VICTORIAN AOD SECTOR
The Victorian government has released a document titled "New Directions for Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services: A Road Map." The document articulates the reform agenda of the current Victoria government around alcohol and other drug service delivery. At the heart of this document is the concept of "new recovery", which is currently asserting itself as a new paradigm for alcohol and drug treatment in Australia. This document gives us insight into what the future may hold for Queensland, but also for Australia as governments move towards activity based funding for alcohol and drug services.
Download "New Directions for Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services: A Roadmap"
Posted in: Research
June 15, 2012
THE IMPACT OF CANNABIS ON LUNGS
The British Lung Foundation has just published an updated report titled "The Impact of Cannabis on Your Lungs" which collates recent research on cannabis use and lung function and digests this into an easy to read format. The report finds that recently published research indicates stronger evidence than ever before that cannabis is linked to lung cancer. It also indicates a clear link between cannabis and respiratory problems like chronic coughing, sputum production and wheezing, as well as a link between cannabis use and infective lung conditions like tuberculosis and legionnaires disease. They found that there was a lack of evidence on how cannabis smoking affects lung function and the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Download the "Impact of Cannabis on Lungs" from the British Lung Foundation website.
Posted in: Research
