According to doctors as many as one in five Australians has a problem with substance use and and many of those people will develop an addiction.The annual cost to the community is estimated at $50 billion. That is more each year than the entire National Broadband Network is predicted to cost to build over 10 Read more
Technology has enabled the proliferation of pornography, making it so pervasive that it has become the main sex educator for many young people. This is a profound problem because it gives a distorted view of sexuality and human relations, predominantly involves violence against women and encourages hazardous practices. It is causing young people confusion and Read more
Sarah started using heroin when she was 16, and soon after that she left home to live with her dealer. Heroin was one of the ways he had power over her. He was older than her, and often unfaithful. Over the three years that they were together, they frequently fought, sometimes violently. She would end Read more
The global war on drugs has cost billions and taken countless lives — but achieved little. The scant results finally have politicians and experts joining calls for legalization. Following the journey of cocaine from a farm in Colombia to a user in Berlin sheds light on why. “Pablo Escobar said to me: ‘One shot to Read more
Alcoholics Anonymous provides a non-medical intervention for problem drinking. It’s based on a Twelve Steps program of spiritual and character development, and tends to polarise the medical field, largely because of its emphasis on spirituality. AA is arguably one of the only treatments effective for alcoholics wishing to become sober. And few, if any, support groups or Read more
On Monday my friend Carl died – under the wheels of a train. He would not have meant to disrupt the lives of rush-hour commuters. Nor would he have wanted to cause distress to the train crew. Perhaps from the “other side” he will let me apologise on his behalf. Sorry. Perhaps it’s ironic that, Read more
There is no easy way to reduce the number of children who are trying to solve their problems by using alcohol and drugs. Any effective campaign to address child substance addiction must involve the whole community. According to a report in the Waikato Times, in the past 18 months 72 children with full-blown addictions have Read more
The Justice minister, Judith Collins, has announced that changes to the Alcohol Reform Bill are set to return to Parliament for final consideration next month. The aim of the Alcohol Reform Bill is to drive a change in our culture, she says. Problem drinking is a major contributor to crime and a significant cause of Read more
I was married for a long time to a man addicted to porn. I am now divorced. I became aware of his addiction early in our marriage. I found the ‘girlie’ magazines hidden under the bed, read, he said, for the articles. I wanted to believe him. Every time I found them, I felt nauseous, Read more
In my early 20s, I came to appreciate what it means to fall head over heels. He was erudite, aloof and utterly unattainable. Or so I thought. When he finally looked my way, my heart literally skipped a beat. But my good sense ran a mile. The cracks began to appear not long after we Read more