Planning the prevention of alcohol and other drug-related problems among women

The aim of this paper is to report on the findings from a survey of key respondents with regard to the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems among women. The findings suggest that key respondents were concerned about the problems related to legal substances, alcohol, nicotine, minor tranquillisers, over-the-counter medication and major psychotropic medication. The problems described by these respondents included both physical and psychological health problems. The implications of these findings for prevention activity are discussed.     

Recent developments in drug and alcohol medical education in Australia

Drug and alcohol training in Australian medical schools is about to undergo a transformation with the appointment of drug and alcohol co-ordinators to all medical schools. These federally-funded positions will ensure the development and implementation of integrated drug and alcohol medical curricula at the undergraduate level.     

European guidelines for workplace drug and alcohol testing in hair

Guidelines for Legally Defensible Workplace Drug Testing have been prepared and updated by the European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS). They are based on the 2010 version published by Pascal Kintz and Ronald Agius (Guidelines for European workplace drug and alcohol testing in hair. Drug Test. Anal. 2010 , 2, 367) and in concordance with the Society of Hair Testing guidelines (Society of Hair Testing guidelines for drug testing in hair. Forensic Sci. Int. 2012 , 218, 20‐24). The European Guidelines are designed to establish best practice procedures whilst allowing individual countries to operate within the requirements of national customs and legislation. The EWDTS recommends that all European laboratories that undertake legally defensible workplace drug testing use these guidelines as a template for accreditation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Guidelines for European workplace drug and alcohol testing in hair

Drug and alcohol abuse is a concern for many European companies, especially those having safety‐critical jobs. It is not uncommon for European companies to establish a drug policy with little or no provision for drug testing. The European Union (EU) has launched a number of initiatives in its fight against drugs. There is, however, no specific EU legislation and no generally accepted guidelines. Since the outcome of workplace drug testing (WDT) can have serious consequences for the employee, it is of utmost importance that WDT be performed in a defined quality standard and in a legally secured way. In order to fulfil this, the European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS) has formulated WDT guidelines in order to ensure that the entire drug testing process is of high quality, accredited, and legally defensible, hence giving accurate and reliable information about employee drug use while respecting the privacy of the employee. The aim of this paper is to present the recently formulated guidelines for workplace drug testing in hair. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of drug and alcohol policy in reducing Indigenous over-representation in prison

Australian Indigenous imprisonment rates are higher now than they were at the time of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The Commission attributed Indigenous imprisonment to Indigenous cultural, economic and social disadvantage. Noel Pearson has argued that Indigenous drug and alcohol use is a more important cause of Indigenous contact with the justice system than Indigenous disadvantage. In this paper I argue that the available evidence provides strong support for Pearson's view and for the proposition that future efforts to reduce Indigenous imprisonment should place more emphasis on supply-side strategies for reducing Indigenous drug and alcohol abuse.     

Australian school-based prevention programs for alcohol and other drugs: A systematic review

Issues. To reduce the occurrence and costs related to substance use and associated harms it is important to intervene early. Although a number of international school-based prevention programs exist, the majority show minimal effects in reducing drug use and related harms. Given the emphasis on early intervention and prevention in Australia, it is timely to review the programs currently trialled in Australian schools. This paper reports the type and efficacy of Australian school-based prevention programs for alcohol and other drugs. Approach. Cochrane, PsychInfo and PubMed databases were searched. Additional materials were obtained from authors, websites and reference lists. Studies were selected if they described programs developed and trialled in Australia that address prevention of alcohol and other drug use in schools. Key Findings. Eight trials of seven intervention programs were identified. The programs targeted alcohol, cannabis and tobacco and most were based on social learning principles. All were universal. Five of the seven intervention programs achieved reductions in alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use at follow up. Conclusion. Existing school-based prevention programs have shown to be efficacious in the Australian context. However, there are only a few programs available, and these require further evaluative research. This is critical, given that substance use is such a significant public health problem. The findings challenge the commonly held view that school-based prevention programs are not effective.[Teesson M, Newton NC, Barrett EL. Australian school-based prevention programs for alcohol and other drugs: A systematic review. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:731-736].     

AIDS: Relationship to alcohol and other drugs

Most people who are exposed to AIDS do not get the syndrome. It seems clear that there must be cofactors. Most people with AIDS have a history of alcohol or other drug use, and many of the drugs used have been shown to suppress the immune system. The correlation between drug use and development of AIDS in several populations is striking, and it is suggested that definitive research into this possible cofactor be urgently initiated. The elimination of cofactors may present an immediate way to control this epidemic. Suggestions are made as to how and why alcohol and drug treatment professionals should become a part of this effort.     

Drug testing in the Australian workplace: overview of the issues

This paper is an overview of the issues surrounding employee drug testing programs as they apply to the Australian workplace. Drug testing may be seen within a historical context of control over workers. Its practice is most prevalent in the USA, but it is also occurring in Australia, Canada and England. It is undeniable that alcohol and other drug use causes significant problems in many workplaces, though the apparently substantial costs to industry and the prevalence of drug use among workers are difficult to estimate with any degree of precision. Drug testing programs in the workplace appear to have majority public support in the USA and are even supported by some unions in Australia and the USA; there are, however, critics of the programs. The evaluation evidence to date is sparse, but is promising in that it suggests that drug testing programs can be responsible for reducing the prevalence of drug use among workers as well as dramatically reducing company costs for absenteeism, accidents and medical insurance claims. However, due to methodological shortcomings one cannot state conclusively that drug testing programs are as effective as they appear to be. Research using more rigorous designs and generating data that can be compared across studies is needed. Distasteful though drug testing is, we may see benefits in its use, similar in concept to random breath testing on our roads. Many of the procedural and legal problems in early US programs have been eliminated, refinements which should assist Australians. The legal issues, however, are quite different in Australia. A drug testing program should not be the sole remedy for reducing alcohol and other drug problems in the workplace and such a program must also be accompanied by rehabilitation and educational components. Ethical issues are briefly discussed.     

Economic and other views of addiction: implications for the choice of alcohol, tobacco and drug policies

It is the aim of this paper to provide an overview of developments in implicit and explicit economic views of addiction, to contrast these perceptions with the views of other disciplines and discuss the implications for policy. Addictive behaviours have received considerable attention from disciplines other than economics. The nature of addiction and the contribution of psychological, physiological and social factors have been strongly debated within the addictions field for many years. The views of economists are becoming increasingly important because economic studies of consumption, and tax revenue in the case of licit drugs, are one factor when framing policy. It is therefore crucial to know how economists have treated addiction. Have they neglected it and what are the implications if they have? This paper attempts to answer this question by reviewing and discussing the literature in depth and drawing out the implications for policy.     

New frontiers in alcohol and gender: The role of health promotion policy and practice in Australia

Scholarship indicates that gender norms influence drinking behaviours, yet the consequences of this for health professionals and health promotion remains neglected. To address this gap, we discuss the implications of gender and alcohol consumption for Australian health promotion and practice. We convey how a more integrated public health approach, aimed at promoting healthy gender expectations and enhancing gender relations, is warranted. We also discuss how changing gender norms pose new challenges for health professionals. By confronting these contentious issues, this commentary helps the health sector consider innovative measures to combat alcohol-related harms.     

Grasping the thistle: The role of alcohol brief interventions in Scottish alcohol policy

Issue. Scotland has experienced a substantial rise in alcohol‐related harm, which is now one of the biggest public health challenges it faces. Approach. Alcohol problems in Scotland are described along with national alcohol policy response in addressing them. The role of a program of Alcohol Brief Interventions is discussed therein. Key Findings. In Scotland, considerable proportions of the population are drinking hazardously or harmfully, common across different age and socioeconomic groups. Rising consumption has been set in wider environmental changes with alcohol becoming more available and affordable. Scotland has had one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease mortality rates in the world at a time when rates in most of Western Europe are falling. Scotland's alcohol policy has an explicit aim to reduce population consumption and includes legislative measures to tackle price and availability. A national program to deliver Alcohol Brief Interventions for hazardous drinkers is a key plank of this wider strategy. A portfolio of studies will monitor and evaluate national policy and, through contribution analysis, describe the role Alcohol Brief Interventions play in reducing alcohol misuse. Implications. Effective alcohol policy recognises that determinants of health not only lie at individual level, but include wider social, environmental and economic factors. Scotland's policy is addressing these determinants with both population‐based and population‐targeted interventions. Conclusion. Scotland has a serious problem with alcohol. A comprehensive, evidence‐based, resourced alcohol policy is being implemented, which will need continual review to ensure it remains anchored in evidence while maintaining its ambition.[Graham LJC, MacKinnon D. Grasping the thistle: The role of alcohol brief interventions in Scottish alcohol policy. Drug Alcohol Rev 2010;29;603–607]     

Public opinion and community-based prevention of alcohol-related harms

Aim: This article looks at alcohol policy opinions from the point of view of the possibilities and frames for creating local alcohol control policy. Local action against harms related to drinking is a compromise between different points of view, and the question of public support is important for community-based prevention. Data and analyses: The respondents of a postal questionnaire were asked if they supported different alcohol policy measures, and logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine the impact of the demographic characteristics, drinking measures and observations of alcohol-related harms in the community. Results: The wide majority of the population supported such measures suitable for community-based prevention as enforcement of the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol, surveillance of restaurants and shops, and the ban to sell alcohol to a drunken person. Decreasing numbers of outlets of restaurants or their opening hours were least popular. There was a relationship between drinking habits and alcohol policy opinions. Abstainers and moderate drinkers were most likely to support all alcohol policy measures examined, whilst heavier drinkers were least likely to support them. There was a connection between awareness of alcohol problems in one's locality, and favourable opinions on alcohol control measures. The result is similar with the ones found earlier in other countries. Conclusion: Potential members of local alcohol policy coalitions seem to have some similarities in different countries.