Tuesday 31 August 2010
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a term that describes a range of disabilities, birth defects and brain damage that may be caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Every year on September 9th, International FASD Awareness Day is marked to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy, and to consider those whose lives are affected by the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol. This alert outlines the key facts and issues about FASD.
Thursday 19 August 2010
The Australian Drug Foundation's new spring 2010 resource catalogue is now available online. It features a number of new resources including the "Your shout" DVD, "Alcohol: the facts" booklet, "Alcohol: no ordinary commodity" book and the "Alcohol and your brain" DVD.
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Breast milk is generally recognised as the best nourishment a baby can have. However if a mother is using alcohol or other drugs (AOD), these substances can be passed on to the baby during breastfeeding. In recognition of World Breastfeeding Week 2010, this alert summarises the key issues around breastfeeding and AOD use.
Friday 23 July 2010
The DrugInfo Clearinghouse will be running another free seminar in Melbourne on 17 August 2010, from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm (registration from 9.30 am). The topic of this seminar is the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Currently Australia's alcohol taxation system is one of the most complex in the world with a range of different rates and rules applied for different products - for example, beer is taxed quite differently to spirits. This alert aims to provide a simple overview of Australia's current alcohol taxation system.
Wednesday 7 July 2010
NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week is here again. NAIDOC Week is a celebration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and seeks to recognise contributions of Indigenous Australians in various fields.
Thursday 1 July 2010
The DrugInfo Clearinghouse suite of resources "Prevention of alcohol and other drug problems in culturally and linguistically diverse communities" has been released. The aim of this suite is to identify and evaluate primary prevention programs and initiatives aimed at preventing alcohol and other drug (AOD) harms in culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) communities.
Wednesday 9 June 2010
We often hear or read stories about alcohol and other drugs, but before we form our own opinions, it’s important to look at the facts. This alert examines some common misconceptions and outlines the evidence that disproves them.
Thursday 27 May 2010
Research indicates that alcohol, especially high consumption of alcohol, can increase an individual's risk of becoming involved in violence, either as a perpetrator or a victim. This email alert outlines this relationship and provides links to further information and research.
Thursday 13 May 2010
The NSW Health Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office (MHDAO), the Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (NADA) and the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) are currently working together to develop a pilot workforce development initiative on the role of families in reducing alcohol-related harm among young people. The initiative consists of a seminar and a related worker resource.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
To mark International Women's Day 2010, this email alert provides a collection of links to a number of women’s health and information services across Australia.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
This email alert provides links to some of the many men’s health and information organisations and services across Australia.
Thursday 17 December 2009
The end of year can be a time of fun, socialising and relaxation, but it can also be a time for over-indulgence. This alert gives some key tips and useful resources for staying safe during the “silly season”.
Thursday 29 October 2009
Drug use trends are of great interest to many people who contact the DrugInfo Clearinghouse. This email alert is a guide to the key resources to consult for current statistics on alcohol and other drug use and associated harms.
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Drink spiking refers to the practice of adding alcohol or another substance to a person's drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) without their knowledge. This alert summarises what is known about drink spiking in Australia.
Wednesday 13 May 2009
In the current economic climate there has been much debate among health professionals, economists and popular media about the effect economic recession has on substance use. One argument is that substance use decreases during economic upturns and increases during recession. On the other hand, others argue that substance use increases during economic growth and decreases during downturns. Which argument does the research support?
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Across Australian states and territories, different approaches to licensing regulations and other controls exist to promote safety and reduce alcohol-related harms. They range from legislation and policy to local initiatives and trials.
Tuesday 22 July 2008
The DrugInfo Clearinghouse InfoDesk regularly receives queries from both employers and employees about alcohol and other drugs in the workplace. Many of these queries include requests for information about developing an alcohol and other drug policy for the workplace and how workplaces can support their employees. This email alert lists a small selection of the many websites that can provide people with a starting place to answers these and many other related questions.
Tuesday 8 July 2008
Alcohol has been in the spotlight over the last couple of months. Some of the recent announcements are outlined below, just in case you have missed any of them.
Wednesday 20 February 2008
This year International Women's Day is being held on Saturday 8 March 2008. There will be a number of events and seminars held across the world to celebrate and raise community awareness. This includes raising awareness of issues around women's health. This email alert provide links to some of the many women's health and information organisations and services across Australia.
Wednesday 23 January 2008
This email alert lists links to information about workforce development and sites that provide information about some of the many alcohol and other drug-related courses, training and workforce development opportunities across Australia.
Email alerts released before 2008.