The escalation of organised crime violence could be due to a multitude of reasons – including illicit drug consumption.
Articles on Illicit drug use
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For the first time, people aged 50–59 years make up the highest proportion of unintentional drug overdose deaths. But these aren’t just from illicit drugs.
The attributes that make many athletes great, like risk-taking and aggression, are a reason why some turn to illegal drugs.
Xylazine, or tranq, is increasingly being mixed with drugs like fentanyl or heroin and can be difficult to detect. Most people who use drugs are unable to tell if they have been exposed to it.
Fentanyl’s wide availability in the drug supply has led to an increase in unintentional overdoses. While prevention strategies are available, limited availability stymies their use.
Young people may be at particular risk.
Few teens use MDMA and scare tactics, like those we’ve seen recently, are unlikely to reduce existing drug use further.
A person’s drug experience can be influenced by many different things, such as heat, access to water and dosage.
There’s no evidence drug use is a barrier to job seeking. And testing can’t distinguish between one off, irregular or regular use.
Residential drug rehab programs usually last for around eight weeks and include everything from counselling sessions to household chores, which help build connections and support between residents.
People who use party drugs say it gives them energy to dance and socialise, reduces their inhibitions and enhances their feelings of connection to others.
Some drug and alcohol programs
currently used in prisons have little evidence to support them.
Cannabis use is linked to psychosis, but only a small number of users will experience it.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter told Q&A that ‘rates of drug use amongst unemployed are 2.5 times higher than amongst employed people’. Is that correct?
The proportion of population who use legal and illegal drugs has remained stable or trended down. Fewer young people are using, but the proportion of older people using drugs and alcohol has grown.
There’s no legal reason why Victoria can’t have its own medically supervised drug injecting room to prevent more overdoses, despite political setbacks.
Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said conducting on-site drug tests at public events “safely and quickly is not really a practical option”. But the technology is available.
West Australian Labor leader Mark McGowan said his state has the “worst rate of methamphetamine usage in the country”. We asked the experts to check the evidence.
Ice increases the risks of psychosis, violence and impulsivity, and decreases emotional control. So what can families really do?
Why would the Philippine president risk alienating an important and generous ally?
Top contributors
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Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University
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Lecturer, RMIT University
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Professor, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University and Burnet Institute, Burnet Institute
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Professor, Deakin University
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Sessional psychology lecturer, Australian Catholic University
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Professor of Emergency Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School
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Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW
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Senior Research Fellow, Monash University
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Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
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Professor & Specialist in Drug Policy, UNSW
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Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of Kent
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NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Burnet Institute
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Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
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Professor of East/Southeast Asian History, Boise State University
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Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University