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Applications open for Criminal property confiscation grants program

9 May 2012

Attorney General Christian Porter launched the latest round of the Criminal property confiscation grants program on 2 May 2012.

Government funding withdrawn from successful SA substance use treatment service

3 May 2012

The Federal Government has withdrawn funding from a South Australian (SA) Aboriginal community controlled organisation after 38 years of operation.

DoHA shortlists applicants for substance use funding initiatives

2 May 2012

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has now assessed and shortlisted organisations who submitted applications for funding to address substance use issues.

Northern Territory Budget 2012 delivers $20 million investment into correctional services

26 April 2012

A $20.2 million investment in correctional services was announced by Correctional Services Minister Gerry McCarthy on 22 April 2012.

Bourke community to launch awareness campaign targeting alcohol and other drug use

24 April 2012

On Wednesday 2 May 2012, the Bourke Alcohol and drug working group (BAWG) will launch an alcohol and other drug awareness campaign in Bourke, New South Wales (NSW).

Greens call for data collection on drug use in remote APY lands

19 April 2012

The Greens want the South Australian (SA) State Government to consider collecting data on marijuana use in the remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Aboriginal lands.

South Hedland Primary School celebrates Close the Gap Day

12 April 2012

South Hedland Primary School, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA), held a whole school celebration for Harmony Day and Close the Gap Day on 21 March 2012.

Safe and sober support service - making a difference in Alice Springs

11 April 2012

The Safe and sober support service, an alcohol and other drug treatment service in Alice Springs, is making a difference in the community.

2012 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music competition

10 April 2012

The National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre has announced the 2012 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music competition.

Dual-purpose alcohol and other drug centre to open in Carnarvon

2 April 2012

A new centre providing day and night treatment services for people in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia (WA) with alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems is set to open.

Reducing alcohol and other drug use in remote Northern Territory communities

30 March 2012

The Australian Government is investing $2.31 million to tackle the impact of alcohol and other drug use in Katherine, Tiwi, the Daly region, and the greater Darwin region in the Northern Territory (NT).

Midnight basketball program helps reduce youth crime in Kempsey

22 March 2012

The New South Wales town of Kempsey has implemented a social inclusion program for its youth to help reduce substance use and criminal activity.

HealthInfoNet workshops: helping to 'close the gap' in Indigenous health

20 March 2012

To increase access to its web resource and build the capacity of the frontline health workforce - and to assist the health workforce in 'closing the gap' in Indigenous health - the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet will deliver a program of free workshops across Western Australia (WA) over 18 months from April 2012.

Recipients of Strong spirit strong mind awards announced

15 March 2012

The Strong spirit strong mind awards were announced on the 14 March 2012 at the Western Australian (WA) Aboriginal drug and alcohol worker forum.

Victorian healing program a success for Indigenous participants

5 March 2012

A unique Aboriginal initiative in Victoria is helping break the cycle of addiction and despair by combining indigenous spirituality with conventional treatment.

Plain language background information for volatile substance use now available

1 March 2012

The plain language background information for the volatile substance use web resource is now available online.

Extra funding for Indigenous communities to address substance use

1 March 2012

Certain Indigenous communities will receive extra funding under the government's Breaking the cycle of alcohol and drug abuse in Indigenous communities initiative.

New Indigenous mental health web resource launched

22 February 2012

A new web resource for Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) workers is now available on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website.

ACT Government to consider future exemptions for kava consumption

20 February 2012

The ACT Government will consider future exemptions that allow for kava consumption after a conditional trial at the National Multicultural Festival.

Tennant Creek sobering up shelter to open in February 2012

10 February 2012

A $1.6 million sobering-up shelter will open in Tennant Creek next week, replacing an older facility which was demolished.

Volatile substance use background information available now

6 February 2012

The web resource for Volatile substance use now includes background information.

Nominations open for Strong Spirit Strong Mind Awards 2012

31 January 2012

The Strong Spirit Strong Mind Awards are being presented by the Western Australian Network of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies (WANADA) in 2012, as part of the Aboriginal alcohol and other drugs (AOD) worker forum being held in Perth from 14-15 March.

New funding and upgrade for the South East Metropolitan Community Drug Service

17 January 2012

The South East Metropolitan Community Drug Service (SEMCDS) has received state Government funding towards an upgrade and new premises in Thornlie, Western Australia.

Australia's first Indigenous youth alcohol and other drug rehabilitation facility opens

19 December 2011

On December 15, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) celebrated the opening of Bunjilwarra, the first Australian alcohol and other drug rehabilitation facility dedicated to helping young Aboriginal people.

Healthy Lifestyle Worker toolkit launched

13 December 2011

The Director of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, Professor Neil Thomson, today attended the Canberra launch of a new Healthy Lifestyle Worker toolkit to help tackle chronic disease in Indigenous communities.

Halls Creek benefits from alcohol restrictions; new health worker positions

9 December 2011

The Drug and Alcohol Office has released a report on 8 December 2011, on the impact of liquor restrictions in Halls Creek, Western Australia.

New alcohol and other drug worker positions for north-west WA under Royalties for regions program

9 December 2011

Up to 31 alcohol and other drug worker positions will be created to expand treatment, prevention and counselling services across the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia.

More Indigenous Australians accessing targeted health services

26 October 2011

There was a significant increase in the use of services targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2009-10 compared with the previous year, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Government releases NT consultation report

24 October 2011

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin released the Stronger futures in the Northern Territory consultation report in Alice Springs last week.

BushMob's bush adventure therapy program success

21 October 2011

A Bush adventure therapy program run by BushMob has experienced success in its fourth year, through its annual horse trek.

Raising awareness of petrol sniffing in urban South Australia

10 October 2011

Professional educators Warren Miller and Jimmy Perry spend most of the year travelling through rural and remote South Australia, trying to divert people in Aboriginal communities away from petrol sniffing.

Health workers honoured at the Deadly Awards

28 September 2011

The 17th Deadly Awards were held at the Sydney Opera House on the 27 September 2011, recognising outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements in sport, the arts, music and health.

New rehabilitation services available in the East Kimberley

14 September 2011

Stage two of the Ngnowar Aerwah 7 Mile Residential Rehabilitation Facility service was officially opened in Wyndham on 8 September 2011.

Indigenous Football Festival message: cannabis and sport don't mix

19 August 2011

Educational messages on mixing alcohol and other drug use and physical activity were delivered at the Indigenous Football Festival recently in Alice Springs.

Drug Aware cannabis prevention campaign for WA

17 August 2011

A new Western Australian state campaign is aimed at increasing awareness about the risks associated with cannabis use.

New Victorian alcohol and other drug strategy - call for public submissions

15 August 2011

The Coalition Government has announced a new whole of government strategy to address alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in Victoria.

Weed it out project funding extended until 2012

26 July 2011

Funding for the Weed it out project in Queensland has been extended until 2012.

New cannabis intervention requirement laws for WA

26 July 2011

The Western Australian government is introducing new laws on cannabis use from 1 August 2011.

Rehabilitation centre to open in Port Hedland

17 June 2011

Port Hedland's first alcohol and other drug rehabilitation centre is set to open in mid-2012.

WA state budget 2011-12: alcohol and other drug sector

8 June 2011

The Minister for Mental Health and Disability Services Helen Morton announced funding for the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector in a budget bulletin 2011-12.

$160m to Indigenous alcohol and other drug initiatives in WA

25 May 2011

An increase in mining royalties to more than $4 billion in 2012 has given a bonus to the WA government's Royalties for Regions scheme.

Budget 2011-12: alcohol and other drug services

12 May 2011

The Government has announced the new budget for 2011-12, including funding for the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector.

New National pharmaceutical drug misuse strategy under development

11 May 2011

A consortium led by the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University are currently developing a National Pharmaceutical Drug Misuse Strategy (NPDMS) in response to the emerging problem of pharmaceutical misuse.

New look DrugInfo website launched

9 May 2011

The new look Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) DrugInfo website and email alert service was launched on 4 May 2011 at the 6th International Conference on Drugs and Young People.

More substance use treatment services needed

29 April 2011

The drug policy group Anex is calling for better treatment services for alcohol and other drug use in regional areas such as the Far West.

Injecting drug use and associated harms among Aboriginal Australians report released

27 April 2011

A major new report on injecting drug use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders was released on 27 April 2011.

Book aims to weed out Indigenous drug use

16 March 2011

A new resource has been introduced into an Indigenous community in far North Queensland as part of the Weed it out project; a crime prevention initiative started in 2007 and run by the Queensland Police Service Far Northern Region Drug Squad and James Cook University (JCU) to identify the full extent of cannabis use and the impact of that use on the community.

Substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

8 February 2011

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has just released a report on substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, focusing on the three main areas of tobacco use, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use (including petrol sniffing).

National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference (NIDAC)

21 June 2010

The inaugural NIDAC conference was held at the Adelaide convention centre on the 16 - 18 June 2010.

Police seize 45kg of kava in remote community

2 June 2010

45kg of kava has been seized in Northern Territory.

New report released: The health and welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

28 May 2010

The latest results from national statistical collections on the health and wellbeing of Australia's Indigenous population have been revealed today with the release of The health and welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2010.

HIV strategy targets Aboriginal drug users

27 May 2010

Australia's sixth national HIV strategy has been developed by the federal, state and territory governments with input from community organisations, doctors and researchers.

Nationwide review of investment into Indigenous drug and alcohol programs

14 April 2010

The National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC) today released a report identifying the areas of greatest need to address harmful Indigenous alcohol and other drug use.

Bush medicine put to the test in WA

23 March 2010

In Warmun, about 200 kilometres south of Kununurra, elders are working with a psychologist on a program to combine traditional healing and conventional treatment methods to address substance use issues among the local Indigenous youth.

The Northern Territory Emergency Response and cannabis use in remote Indigenous communities

8 March 2010

In his letter to the Medical Journal of Australia, Professor Dennis Gray points out that alcohol restrictions remain one of the most effective ways of reducing alcohol-related harm and that the evidence base does not exist to support claims widely asserted in public debate that the Northern Territory alcohol restrictions (those introduced as a part of the NTER and those that exist under the NT Alcohol Management Plans) are responsible for the unintended consequence of cannabis substitution.

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