Drug Free Australia Newsletter

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Welcome to DRUG FREE AUSTRALIA'S

Monthly Update

November 2022

CRYPAR – EARLY INTERVENTION - LEARNING FROM PAST SUCCESS

WILL TAXES ON LEGALISED MARIJUANA COVER BIGGER HEALTH COSTystem

CANNABIS FOR CHILDREN?

LIBERALISING DRUGS - LESSONS FOR AUSTRALIA – VANCOUVER IS DYING!

THE VAPING LANDSCAPE

ROTARY’S NEW ACTION GROUP – ADDICTION PREVENTION

OVOM – SIGN THE PETITION TODAY!

SCHOOL DRUG PREVENTION EDUCATION – Options for 2022

CAN YOU DONATE?

CRYPAR Program – Early Intervention - Learning from past success

The Coordinated Response to Young People at Risk Program (CRYPAR) was initiated by the Queensland Police Service working with local community agencies in 2006.

CRYPAR was designed as a whole of-government initiative which aimed to assist young people who are risk of developing criminal and self-harming tendencies and anti-social behaviour, including drug use. To achieve this, the program brought together the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Government, and non-government agencies to assist youth in the community who were most at risk.

Research shows that police often come into contact with young people or families up to 12 months before interventions occur. This program allowed timely referrals to agencies within 48 hours of first contact, in many instances. It proved to be cost effective and helped communities to work together.

Importantly, CRYPAR did not require a great deal in the way of new resources – it just brought existing resources together.

Unfortunately, a few years later, with a change of government policy, it was abandoned.

For more information and an official report on CRYPAR, compiled by Professor Lorraine Mazerolle, Professorial Research Fellow,

School of Social Science, University of Queensland,

contact the Queensland Police Services. Queensland Police Service

Will taxes on legalised marijuana cover bigger health costs?

Here is a perspective worth reading:

MARIJUANA – The marijuana industry is quick to (over) estimate large amounts of revenue from pot sales, but it rarely, if ever, discusses the societal costs of legalisation. Legalisation also results in administrative and enforcement costs, similar to alcohol regulation.

Other societal costs not referred to by drug supporters include:

greater other drug use,
greater marijuana use among underage students,
property and other economic damage,
controlling an expanded black market,
sales to minors,
public intoxication, and other burdens.

No policy is without its costs. Legalisation will result in significant costs to society.

For more, go to: Social Costs - Say Nope to Dope

Cannabis for children?

On October 14, The Oz, (by The Australian newspaper) published an article by Chloe Whelan with the headline, “Victoria greenlights cannabis for kids”.

Whelan reports that the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has been given the greenlight from the Victorian Government to research the effects of medicinal cannabis on children in palliative care. Similar research on children with cancer is also being undertaken in Queensland.

In an article in News Weekly, researcher, author and DFA Fellow, Dr Stuart Reece provides his findings on cannabis use for children.

Here is a snapshot:

Access to cannabis is invariably framed as a personal-rights issue. However, consideration of the transgenerational (across two generations) and multigenerational (across several generations) impacts of cannabis use changes the whole framework of the discussion.
Many of the children of these patients are severely mentally and behaviourally impaired. They are neurodevelopmentally impaired. Cannabis was recently shown to be driving the rise of autism in the United States.
Cannabis is driving the 50 per cent rise in childhood cancer, including the commonest childhood cancer of all, acute lymphoid leukaemia – trans generationally.

For the complete article go to: Cannabis for Child Palliative Care: Another Very Bad Idea - Health & Education (ncc.org.au)

Other references are:

Birth Defects in Colorado Linked to Medical, Recreational Marijuana (thedoanlawfirm.com)

Effects of THC on Youth • Johnny's Ambassadors (johnnysambassadors.org)

Cannabis – the science tells us it is ‘not fit for human consumption’

In a Letter to Health Ministers in Australia and New Zealand, we have joined together with other drug prevention organisations to share key science on cannabis: NOTE: WE HAVE ALWAYS WELCOMED ANY EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, BUT TO DATE, NONE HAS BEEN FORTHCOMING.

Here is an extract from the Letter’s summary of the latest science and evidence on cannabis which clearly demonstrates that it is not fit for human consumption, whether that be medicinally, recreationally or even as a hemp-based edible.

Cannabis likely causal in 33 cancers, more than double the 14 caused by tobacco, with CANNABIDIOL (CBD) causal in at least 12

Cannabis, Cannabidiol, Cannabinoids, and Multigenerational Policy - ScienceDirect

Cannabis likely causal in 89 of the 95 birth defects tracked by the European Medicines Agency

Cannabis causes 30% of new psychosis/schizophrenia diagnoses in London and 50% in Amsterdam

The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): a multicentre case-control study - PubMed (nih.gov)

As a medicinal substance, cannabis does not alleviate chronic pain and is only useful as an adjunct to opiates

Effect of cannabis use in people with chronic non-cancer pain prescribed opioids: findings from a 4-year prospective cohort study - PubMed (nih.gov)

Sadly, a lot of the so-called health research regarding Cannabis is open to fraud and manipulation via vested interests, in much the same way as that of the Tobacco Companies.

We believe Parliamentarians are generally sincere in their endeavours to honestly represent their constituents. Therefore, we request that all newly elected Parliamentarians and those in the Greens Party double check the evidence that they are now using, to make sure that this evidence:

* is ethical, See Attached

* has no conflict of interest, and

* has been proven not to be fraudulent.

As a guide we recommend and request that the following considerations be applied:

1. Who is paying for the research and is there any conflict of interest?

2. How large is the sample size (the larger the number the stronger the evidence)

3. Note that the so-called 'evidence-based' research can be an approach to minimize unnecessary and irrelevant clinical health research that is unscientific, wasteful, and unethical.

4. Are there human subjects in clinical trials:

5. Ethical considerations and concerns Has there been sufficient time to establish whether the health research is fraudulent until proven otherwise?

PLEASE POLITICIANS, TAKE NOTE.FOR A COPY OF THE FULL LETTER, EMAIL: [email protected]

Liberalising Drugs - Lessons for Australia – ‘Vancouver is Dying’

The current situation with liberal drug policy in Canada. Also the latest on Portugal’s plight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8OU8Yhs_s

NOTE:

Watch at 33 minutes for evidence of Harm Reduction and
At 49 minutes, for the latest on Portugal.

For the EVIDENCE about Portugal – go to:

The _Truth_on_Portugal.pdf (d3sdr0llis3crb.cloudfront.net)

THE VAPING LANDSCAPE:

Vaping laws in Australia are NOT effective. Australian Law for Vaping – A Beginner's Guide (whatsvaping.com.au)

In South Australia there are reports that children as young as 5 are vaping!

Encounter Youth, SA report that schools are experiencing 60% of their students vape. This is similar in other states. Laws need to be stricter and Vape shops closed. Availability and the way vapes can be disguised are enabling use by youngsters.

Here are some resources that Drug Free Australia promotes to provide more understanding of vaping harms:

Dalgarno Institute VapingInfoSheet10-07-20.pdf (d1r9bdsrv6vekg.cloudfront.net)

The Save Your Brain website has a module on it at Years 7 and 8 levels: 7 & 8 Module Six | Save Your Brain

Teen Challenge Tasmania offers important points: 6 Things you should know about vaping — Teen Challenge Tasmania; they have also offered zoom sessions to teachers in schools to alert them to initiatives related to preventing vaping.

Web: www.daesy.com.au

Facebook: DAESY Drug & Alcohol Education Supporting Youth - Home | Facebook

ROTARY’S NEW ACTION GROUP – ADDICTION PREVENTION

You can be part of the solution

What is Rotary Action Group – Addiction Prevention (RAG-AP)?

Rotary clubs, in partnership with local communities are, taking action to prevent and reduce drug addiction
RAG-AP helps to form links with Rotary clubs and community groups such as schools, sporting clubs and agencies to provide resources to keep communities healthier and safer.

What are examples of resources?

(a) ‘Save Your Brain’ - an online, drug prevention teaching and learning resource, with aga-appropriate modules.

Includes an introductory session for school staff with ongoing mentoring opportunities for teachers/school counsellors. www.saveyourbrain.com.au

(b) Invited Speakers - Presentations to school assemblies and/or year level groups – often from people who have a story to tell about their personal challenges of overcoming addiction. Their books can be placed in school libraries free of charge.

(c) Parent / Community forums - an interactive forum based on key issues of local community concern:

'Vaping, what you need to know'

Talking to your kids about drugs

The developing Teen Brain and impacts of alcohol and drugs

How to get help, if your kids are experimenting with drugs.

Want to know more about RAG-AP

Contact the RAG-AP representative Rotarian Jo Baxter at [email protected]

Herschel Baker at [email protected]

ALSO - Take a look at the website: Homepage | Rag AP (rag-ap.org)

OVOM – AUSTRALIA
You can be part of the solution

Sign the OVOM petition and make a change

We want to end drug use and addiction, associated crime, grief and feelings of powerlessness. They destroy lives and our planet.

Sign here: OVOM - ONE VOICE ONE MESSAGE

VAPING

You can be part of the solution – 3 calls to action:

Talk to your political representatives about - More health literacy for schools, parents and students around the impact of vapes. Teens have asked for this and are calling for more education on all issues related to vaping, - NOT punishment. Here is a link to DFA’s online Vaping Module 7 & 8 Module Six | Save Your BrainModule 6 covers vaping .
Contact DFA to help develop vaping policies in schools- a community service at no cost. Schools need support in developing helpful and informed policies: DFA has expertise to help schools formulate informed policies that will motivate students to be part of the solution. Email: [email protected]
Contact Teen Challenge Tasmania for zoom sessions for school staff: Teachers, counsellors and school medical staff need to be trained in prevention and motivational interviewing when encountering students who vape AND parents who demonstrate a lack of knowledge on the harms. Teen Challenge Tasmania can offer teachers Zoom seminars on vaping and how to manage classroom issues. #NotEvenOnce® Schools — Teen Challenge Tasmania

DRUG PREVENTION EDUCATION

OPTIONS FOR SCHOOLS IN 2022

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

One life, One choice presentation: Teen Drug Prevention & Effects | Sideffect

Sideffect was born out of that understanding, that our youth need to be educated on substance use and be empowered to make informed decisions, with the help of parents, teachers, and their community.Synthetic Drug Education | Sideffect

https://www.nobrainer.org.au/index.php/resources/humpty-dumpty-resilience

#NotEvenOnce® TeenChallenge Tasmania – school WEBINARS

https://www.teenchallengetasmania.org/notevenonce-projects

The Daesy program Drug and Alcohol Program Supporting Youth

Daesy (kerrynredpath.com.au)

WCTU for primary school students, Melbourne

DFK Home Page

Books available on the website:

Available at DFA Website

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION

Visit Drug Free Australia Website

Major Brain Watters, AO, President, Drug Free Australia sincerely thanks all who have made donations to the important work of drug use prevention. All such donations are tax-deductible.

Web: https://drugfree.org.au/index.php/about-dfa/donations

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