Around 35% of Australians have tried marijuana at some point in their life, and 11% have tried ecstasy. Most people who try drugs do so for a short period in their lives – mostly in their 20s.
Media-driven panic about drugs can create a perception more people are using the drug than they actually are, and when teens think ‘everyone’ is doing it, they are more likely to want to do it too.
People who use painkillers for non-medical reasons often justify it as a form of self-medication for legitimate medical diagnoses such as depression, anxiety and stress.
Canadian drug policy began to take shape well before anti-immigration attacks on Chinese establishments in 1908. Drugs like opium and coke were causing grave public health concerns.
Sydney’s supervised injection room in Kings Cross has helped reduce harmful drug use. But many drug users who live in the outer suburbs find it difficult to get to the inner-city facility.
Robert Ralphs, Manchester Metropolitan University; Mike Salinas, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Rebecca Askew, Manchester Metropolitan University
Students used to take drugs to get high, now they are using them to get better grades.
There are many good private alcohol and drug treatment providers, but lack of regulation means some unethical practices are being uncovered. Here’s what you should know about treatment.
The evidence is clear on the sort of support that is needed to reduce the harms of drug use. A punitive approach that denies people a second chance makes it more likely they will reoffend.
A new study among gay and bisexual men living with HIV found those who were occasional or regular users of party drugs reported significantly better social outcomes than non-users.
When police coax information from low-level offenders with threats of harsh sentencing, it breeds distrust in the community and ultimately contributes to mass incarceration.