A framework for prevention

Prevention activity often occurs at different levels of community and social network. At the smallest level it could occur among a group of drug users and their peers, at the largest level, it could take the form of international drug treaties and conventions. Clearly, there are a number of ways of facilitating changes at these different levels of community and social network. This paper describes a framework that has been used by the National Drug Research Institute. It is useful in explaining that various prevention activities can operate at different community levels and in different contexts and describes their mechanisms of action. The framework borrows from, and adapts, the 'alcohol prevention conceptual model' of Holder and the 'conditional matrix' of Strauss and Corbin. The framework is limited in that it is not a fully conceptualised, data based or theory driven model that specifies how its elements relate to one another. Despite these limitations it has proved to be useful in planning, understanding and describing prevention activity

Pot, politics and the press - reflections on cannabis law reform in Western Australia

Windows of opportunity for changing drug laws open infrequently and they often close without legislative change being affected. In this paper the author, who has been intimately involved in the process, describes how evidence-based recommendations to "decriminalize" cannabis have recently been progressed through public debate and the political process to become law in Western Australia (WA). The Cannabis Control Bill 2003 passed the WA Parliament on 23 September. The Bill, the legislative backing behind the Cannabis Infringement Notice (CIN) Scheme, came into effect on 22 March 2004. This made WA the fourth Australian jurisdiction, after South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, to adopt a prohibition with civil penalties scheme for minor cannabis offences. This paper describes some of the background to the scheme, the process by which it has become law, the main provisions of the scheme and its evaluation. It includes reflections on the role of politics and the press in the process. The process of implementation and evaluation are outlined by the author, foreshadowing an ongoing opportunity to understand the impact of the change in legislation

Western Australian Drug Trends 2024: Key Findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) Interviews

The Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) is a monitoring system identifying trends in illicit drug markets that has been conducted in all capital cities of Australia since 2000. This report provides the most up-to-date findings of the IDRS interviews from 2024 in Western Australia with people who inject drugs

Western Australian Drug Trends 2024: Key Findings from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) Interviews

The Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) is the most comprehensive and detailed study of ecstasy and related drug use, market features, and harms in Australia. The focus is on the capital city in each state/territory because trends in illicit drug markets are more likely to emerge in large cities rather than regional centres or rural areas. This report provides the most up-to-date findings of the EDRS interviews from 2024 in Western Australia with people who regularly use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants