The gambling industry certainly holds an attraction for former politicians. Perhaps it’s all that money, and the attraction of staying in the game – even if at a peripheral level.
Regardless of how they are consumed, alcohol and other drugs eventually make their way into the brain via the bloodstream. Once there, they affect how messages are sent through the brain.
Heavy drinking causes brain changes that make you want to drink more. But using a virus to deliver a gene into specific neurons in the brain may be a way to mitigate those changes.
Women are catching up to men in rates of alcohol consumption and this has important implications for how we think about our community response to harmful alcohol use.
A review of Sydney’s lockout laws found the objective of reducing alcohol- and drug-related assaults and anti-social behaviour remain valid, and the measures introduced are achieving this.
Almost three in four Australian children consume too much sugar, 91.5% of young people don’t get enough exercise, and we’re among the most obese people in the world.
Recent animal studies show the developing embryo is highly susceptible to environmental changes and the actions of the mother in early stages of pregnancy.
Awareness of social factors, such as society’s perpetuation of masculinity, are critical to understanding the interconnections between trauma, disadvantage and substance abuse in young men.
Most risky drinking happens at home, so policies need to focus on the price of alcohol sold off-premises rather than lockout and other venue-based laws.
Professor, Director of Research and Statistical Support Service and Program Leader for Substance Use and Mental Health, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland