*This campaign does not offer support services. If you are seeking support please view services here or phone the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 or Gambler's Help Hotline on 1800 858 858*
LATEST NEWS
Keep up to date with the latest news on addiction

Victorians have gambled – and lost – $66 billion on pokies in 30 years
Alliance for Gambling Reform, The Age
17 July 2022
30 years ago, 10,000 pokie machines were launched in Victoria. There are now 30,000, mostly in suburban pubs and clubs.
They have taken in $66 billon over the three decades, according to Victorian Gambling and Casino Control data analysed by the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
Labor premier Joan Kirner paved the way for the first pokie machines to be installed at Dorset Gardens Hotel in Croydon on July 17, 1992.
It followed years of gamblers heading to the NSW border to use the pokies, and Victoria wanted a piece of the $400 million pie.

When did sobriety become the biggest celebrity trend?
Hello Sunday Morning
6 July 2022
Dominique Robert-Hendren, head of clinical innovation and digital health at alcohol support service Hello Sunday Morning, agrees and adds that society’s interest in mindfulness and meditation has also played a part in the sober surge.

Former premier, health groups urge Perrottet to implement ice inquiry recommendations
Uniting, Odyysey House
24 June 2022
Former NSW Premier, Bob Carr has urged Premier Dominic Perrottet to act on the two-year-old ice inquiry, while the commissioner of the $10.8 million investigation says the absence of funding for drug reform was a shameful omission in last Tuesday’s budget. The former Labor premier, whose government established the Kings Cross supervised injecting centre in 2001, called on Perrottet to follow his stead and act on expert advice.

Study to probe new ice addiction treatment model
NDARC
11 May 2022
An investigation into a new drug-addiction treatment model, aimed at incentivising rather than punishing, could change the way clinicians attempt to cure methamphetamine dependence in Australia.

New data reveals rising cost of poker machines on Queensland families
Nine News
29 April 2022
New data shows south-east Queenslanders are spending millions of dollars a day on poker machines, with the number of problem gamblers on the rise.

‘A massive spiritual shift’: how the mindful movement of qigong can treat addiction
The Guardian
15 April 2022
The gentle motion, breathing and meditation stop the mind ‘wandering to negative thoughts’, says a recovering Victorian living with addiction

Turning Point has an exciting announcement!
Turning Point
23 March 2022
Turning Point has been appointed as Victoria’s new Statewide Specialist Service for people living with mental illness and substance use or addiction.

Alcohol-Related Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
18 March 2022
Research suggests that alcohol consumption and related harms increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kayte developed drinking issues in the pandemic, she wants other women not to feel alone
Turning Point
12 March 2022
Clinicians, researchers and psychiatrists say the acute impact on women, who have been found to have been disproportionately affected by the Australian pandemic, was marked by a lack of social connections and other coping mechanisms during lockdowns and increased family and other stressors which contributed to all-time high numbers seeking mental health support. Demand for support with alcohol use issues is at “unprecedented” levels, with the most affected age group being women in mid-life (mid-40s to mid-60s).

Our love of sport is a gateway to gambling
University of Melbourne
9 March 2022
We are no strangers to having a punt – Australians lost approximately $A25 billion across all forms of gambling between 2018 and 2019. In fact, per capita, our losses are amongst the highest recorded in the world, and betting on sports is the fastest growing form of gambling in Australia.

Why Victoria should review its response to drugs and decriminalise usage
The Age
19 February 2022
Almost a century apart, one of the greatest intellects in human history and one of Australia’s leading law-enforcers expressed the same truth. Halfway between those two evidence-based statements, the so-called “War on Drugs” was launched.

Huge increase in Australian alcohol sales during the COVID-19 pandemic
FARE
16 February 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has been blamed for a huge increase in alcohol sales across Australia.

Woman jailed after stealing nearly $1m to play gaming app that never paid out
ABC News
8 February 2022
How do you stop gambling before it becomes a dangerous addiction that could ruin your life? By being honest and seeking help, according to gaming behaviour experts.

Opioid overdose deaths to ‘grow exponentially’ without action – study
The Guardian
3 February 2022
Report warns opioid crisis has a ‘good chance’ of spreading globally as overdose deaths from all drugs increased during the pandemic

Katie drinks more than she should. Research shows more middle-aged women are doing the same
ABC
27 January 2022
A new Australian study, published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal, shows about 21 per cent of women between 45 and 60 are now drinking at "binge-drinking" levels.

Government urged to set harsher rules to protect children from 'Wild West' gambling ads
ABC
22 January 2022
According to experts, the lack of regulation over what children are being exposed to online is a major concern. One of the advertisements sighted by the ABC repeatedly playing on a children's app targeted to four-year-olds up is for a game that is designed like a poker machine.

Take the pressure off responses – how to tell others you’re not drinking
Hello Sunday Morning
14 January 2022
Are you worried about feeling in control of the conversation as you make changes to your drinking habits?

Team awarded MRFF funding to develop MDMA-assisted therapy to treat AUD and PTSD
Turning Point
10 January 2022
Turning Point's Professor Dan Lubman AM and Dr Shalini Arunogiri are part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers awarded over $1.9 million to investigate the efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychological treatment to treat people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Support for legalising marijuana in Australia nearly doubles over six years
The Guardian
29 December 2021
More than 40% of Australians back legalisation of cannabis for personal use, National Drug Strategy Household Survey finds

Non-alcoholic drinks can help many cut back this Christmas, but for those struggling with addiction, they present their own risks
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education
22 December 2021
Alcohol sales skyrocket in December across Australia, and with the increased sales comes an increase in alcohol-related harm.

‘Healing can begin with a handshake’: inside Sydney’s only Aboriginal-run drug and alcohol counselling centre
The Guardian
14 December 2021
Established by Hunter and Bonham in 1996, Marrin Weejali is Sydney’s only Aboriginal-run drug and alcohol service. In Wiradjuri, the most widely spoken Aboriginal language in NSW, marrin means body and spirit, weejali means essence. The goal is to unite these two in the one person. Marrin’s core philosophy grows out of the therapeutic community model and programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, which are built on the belief that people sharing their common experience can solve their common problem.

Revision of the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol
Turning Point
3 December 2021
This week the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) published an article describing the process of revising the NHMRC’s 2020 Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol.

Alcohol prevention reduces risky drinking and related harms in adulthood
The Matilda Centre
26 November 2021
Adolescents who received 'Climate Schools' or 'PreVenture' school-based preventative interventions report up to 96% reduced-odds of hazardous alcohol use, and up to 87% reduced the odds of experiencing alcohol-related harms, when compared to young people who received 'health education as usual', researchers from the Matilda Centre have found.

Inside ice addiction by Sydney woman, 31, who was ‘loved back to life’ after five years of drug dependence
7Life
20 November 2021
Ten years ago you couldn’t walk around the streets of Penrith without seeing smiling images of successful real estate agent Jessica Gaddes, 31, plastered on open-home signs. Until one day she tried the drug ice. “It took my soul,” Jessica told 7Life.

Let’s break the link between alcohol and mental health conversations
The Age
8 November 2021
As a society, we need to rid the myth of making it comfortable for people to talk about mental health by using alcohol. Alcohol acts as a catalyst for magnifying further challenges with mental health. Is alcohol consumption so normalised in this country that people cannot see that part of the conversation?

Read AFL superstar's extraordinary handwritten note opening up on drug and gambling addictions
Daily Mail
25 October 2021
Former AFL superstar Dayne Beams has shared his confronting drug and gambling addictions that prematurely ended his career. The Collingwood midfielder shocked the AFL in the middle of the 2019 season when he announced he was taking indefinite leave to battle depression.

Marisa made it through lockdowns without turning back to addiction, but it wasn't easy
Turning Point
21 October 2021
"I'm almost 11 years clean and sober, I haven't had a single drop of alcohol or a single drug. It's never been harder than during lockdowns to keep it this way."

Fewer suicides, but alcohol-related deaths rose in first pandemic year
Sydney Morning Herald
29 September 2021
Spending on alcohol home delivery boomed across the country, alcohol-related deaths also rose, increasing by 8.3 per cent compared to 2019, according to the ABS, or an increase of about 103 deaths.

Injecting hope: A game-changing treatment in the opioid-dependence fight
Monash University
22 September 2021
Launched in Melbourne in 2001, International Overdose Awareness Day – which was marked on 31 August – is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose. It’s a day to remember those who have lost their lives, and acknowledge the grief of family, friends and loved ones left behind.

Keith Urban opens up about 15 years of sobriety and effects of dad's alcohol struggles
Today
9 September 2021
The country music star spoke to the Australian edition of Rolling Stone about getting sober 15 years ago after having grown up with a father who had his own issues with alcoholism. Kidman, 54, staged an intervention just four months after they tied the knot.

Overdose deaths remain stubbornly high: we need to do more to save lives
Croakey
31 August 2021
International Overdose Awareness Day, being marked today (31 August), is proclaimed as the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.

Lazy drug journalism 101: The petty crime montage
AOD Media Watch
30 August 2021
Last year, AOD Media Watch published a piece about the Cranbourne Leader naming and shaming people who had committed petty drug-related crimes on their Facebook page.

Parents warned against allowing teens to drink as study reveals underage alcohol use in Australia
The Guardian
12 August 2021
More than a quarter of Australians aged 16 and 17 are allowed to drink at home, a study shows, with researchers warning parents against supervised consumption.

Problem gambling spirals across Queensland
ABC
28 July 2021
Twenty-one years ago when David McAnalen entered a licensed venue with a gaming room, it wasn't unusual for him to lose thousands of dollars.

Advocates say most gamblers are losing more than ever
ABC
16 May 2021
The week before Australia's first COVID-19 lockdown, Barry* lost $3,000 on the pokies. He is among many telling their story under a pseudonym due to the stigma around gambling.

Victorian coroner recommends drug purity testing after investigating deaths of five men
ABC
7 April 2021
The Victorian coroner has recommended the Victorian State Government urgently introduce drug testing for the first time, after the deaths of five young men who thought they were taking MDMA.

Alcohol support services stretched
ABC
15 February 2021
New data has revealed Tasmanians are spending more on alcohol than ever before, and support services are already feeling the effects.

Why now is the time for Australia to rethink addiction
Monash University
11 January 2021
The year 2020 has challenged us all. The bushfires and then the pandemic forced us to reflect on what’s important, how we respond to crises as a community, and the ways we connect and support each other.

Inside the life of a secret alcoholic
Podcast
3 December 2020
She’d leave work for a coffee break and buy a bottle of white wine. She’d consume roughly around 80 standard drinks, within one week.

A conversation with Prof. Dan Lubman
Health Link
16 November 2020
If you’re like most people, the word “addiction” might conjure up an image of a shady person clutching a paper bag filled with cheap red wine. But according to the National Survey of Mental Health, one in five Australians have a problem with drugs, alcohol or gambling at some point in their lives.

Is alcohol bad for your heart?
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
11 July 2022
In Australia we’re seeing people become increasingly conscious of how alcohol might be affecting their health. More of us are cutting out drinking completely, and many others are taking action to reduce their drinking.
Alcohol continues to be one of the top risk factors for poor health around the world. It’s linked to a number of long-term health conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and liver disease.
Alcohol’s relationship with heart health is a topic on many Australians’ minds – and we’re here to give you all the facts.

Stigma a hurdle to treatment for addiction
Turning Point
27 June 2022
Monday is PTSD Awareness Day, and Turning Point has joined with dozens of other health organisations around the country to run a stigma-tackling campaign called Rethink Addiction.

Linda's son bought 11 bottles of vodka in his final 10 days. She's now pushing for changes to liquor licensing laws
ABC News
22 June 2022
The mother of a Melbourne man who died of alcohol toxicity is pushing for changes to liquor licensing laws and for greater scrutiny for people who sell alcohol to problem drinkers.

WHO highlights glaring gaps in regulation of alcohol marketing across borders
World Health Organisation
10 May 2022
A new report from the World Health Organization highlights the increasing use of sophisticated online marketing techniques for alcohol and the need for more effective regulation. It shows that young people and heavy drinkers are increasingly targeted by alcohol advertising, often to the detriment of their health.

'Year's worth of pay': Wife lifts the lid on Brendan Fevola addiction
Yahoo News
28 April 2022
Alex Fevola has opened up on the moment she realised husband Brendan had lost their entire savings because of his gambling addiction.

Supporting someone through recovery
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
6 April 2022
Is somebody you care about going through alcohol or other drug treatment? As a close family member or friend, you can be a major source of support. By staying connected to them during treatment and recovery, you can help to make a lasting and positive change.

NSW ‘long overdue’ on important criminal justice reforms
Lawyers Weekly
20 March 2022
Following reports that there has been little progress on two “long overdue” areas of criminal justice reform, the NSW Bar Association has called on the state government to stop “throwing more public money” at the models that do not work.

Five percent of Australians drank more than a third of all alcohol sold
Kiss FM
18 March 2022
The report by Latrobe University researchers reveals that five percent of Australians drank more than a third (36.1 percent) of all alcohol sold. They also averaged almost eight (7.83) drinks a day per person.

The AFL’s ‘engine’: How gambling money underpins footy
The Age
12 March 2022
One of the key figures in sports gambling in Australia has opened up about the millions flowing to footy from the gambling companies. It comes in ways that might surprise you.

AFL champion Dayne Beams opens up on drug and gambling addictions
News.com.au
5 March 2022
AFL champion Dayne Beams has lifted the lid on his debilitating drug and gambling problems for the first time in a bid to help others overcome their own addictions. Speaking to Neroli Meadows’ OrdiNeroli Speaking podcast, Beams estimated he had lost close to $1m gambling and said he spent two years in the grips of addiction to prescription drugs.

Is the government ready to take on pubs and clubs, as well as Crown?
The Age
18 February 2022
In a report littered with damning discoveries, this, says Finkelstein, is “perhaps the most damning” of all. “Crown Melbourne had for years held itself out as having a world’s best approach to problem gambling,” Finkelstein said, “nothing can be further from the truth”.

The impact of alcohol on cardiovascular health
World Heart Federation
14 February 2022
This report explores impact of alcohol use on cardiovascular health and found that 40 out of 230 International Classification of Diseases would not occur without alcohol.

Signs of alcohol dependency by Sydney mum who drank every day for years before quitting for good
7News
7 February 2022
‘It was like my body was starting to reject alcohol before my brain was ready to’ - Cathy O’Brien

How to cope with your sibling's substance use issues
Turning Point
2 February 2022
Shalini Arunogiri, deputy clinical director at Turning Point and a senior research fellow at Monash University, recommends looking at the Australian Drug Foundation, the Counselling Online and Family Drug Support websites to begin. "And there are some support networks and education for families online, like Cracks In The Ice, that go through situations around aggression and when to seek other help."

Bush sobriety advocate named Australia’s Local Hero for 2022
Sober in the Country
25 January 2022
This year’s Australia Day Local Hero has helped countless people in the bush tackle their alcohol problems and is looking to change the way the nation deals with drinking.

ATO's 'hardline' drug, alcohol policy will drive substance use underground, union warns
The Canberra Times
21 January 2022
Managers at the tax office could soon be expected to dob in staff members they suspect might be using illegal drugs outside of work or drinking on the job, under new rules proposed by the human resources office.

The Impact of Stigma on People with Opioid Use Disorder, Opioid Treatment, and Policy
Monash University and Turning Point
11 January 2022
Illicit drug use disorders are the most stigmatised health conditions worldwide, and stigma acts as a meaningful barrier to treatment entry and treatment provision.

Binge drinking and alcohol misuse are problems across Australia, but more visible in outback towns
ABC
6 January 2022
It is a grim Christmas scene in the baking heat of Broome, where dozens of people sit amid blankets, empty wine bottles, and discarded food wrappers.

Five key lessons from the fight against alcohol-related harm
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education
23 December 2021
The immense power of the alcohol industry is a roadblock to interventions that could reduce the billion-dollar costs of alcohol-related harm, according to a senior public health advocate.

Why poker machine maker Aristocrat Leisure is splurging $5b to get into 'real money gaming'
Alliance for Gambling Reform
20 December 2021
Aristocrat is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of electronic gaming machines, called EGMs or pokies. But they're for physical casinos, clubs and pubs. Now the company is making its biggest bet yet: the $5 billion purchase of real money gaming goliath Playtech.

Footy superstar Cameron Munster admits he lost $50,000 in one day gambling - as he reveals the sad extent of his alcohol and punting addiction
Daily Mail
12 December 2021
Footy star Cameron Munster has revealed how he lost $50,000 in a single day during lockdown as alcohol and gambling addictions threatened to end his career. Munster, 27, has won two premierships with the Melbourne Storm and is recognised as one of the best rugby league players in the world. But the Queensland five-eighth has also secretly battled addictions which could have cost him his NRL contract and relationship with his pregnant girlfriend.

Time to address addiction treatment inequality in hospital settings
The Lancet
30 November 2021
Injection drug use, and substance use more broadly, places an enormous health and economic burden on society.

Do I have a problem with alcohol?: the blurred line between a daily drink and a drinking problem
The Guardian
22 November 2021
The lines become blurred when it comes to deciding if a person has a problem with alcohol and whether they have developed an alcohol use disorder (formerly known as alcohol dependence). This is colloquially known as being an alcoholic – a term we avoid in addiction psychiatry. It’s not surprising to hear that people with AUD are told their drinking is a problem by family, partners or work colleagues.

More people drank excessively during the pandemic. The world must tackle its alcohol problem
World Economic Forum
11 November 2021
Every year, excessive drinking takes a huge toll on people’s lives and health across the world. “Alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally, as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people,” the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

Multiple barriers to ‘brief interventions’ for alcohol in primary care
RACGP
26 October 2021
A lack of time, resources and low community awareness of alcohol harms influence uptake of brief interventions, according to new research.

$5 million in funding awarded to expert multidisciplinary team to develop new treatments for alcohol use disorder
Monash University
22 October 2021
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Monash University, Turning Point, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and the Florey Institute have been awarded a $5 million NHMRC Synergy Grant over five years to investigate new treatments for alcohol use disorder. The project will bridge clinical and basic science discovery to identify new treatment options for people with alcohol problems and to develop approaches for personalised treatment.

Duchess of Cambridge warns addiction can happen to anyone
BBC
20 October 2021
"None of us are immune" to addiction, the Duchess of Cambridge warned as she highlighted the "devastating impact" of the pandemic on addiction rates. She said that by understanding what lies beneath addiction "we can help remove the taboo and shame that sadly surrounds it".

It is time to treat drug addiction as a mental health issue
Canberra Times
27 September 2021
In the US, "drug addiction is starting to be treated as a health problem". I look forward to that change in Australia so that young people afflicted in this way will no longer need to crawl to shelter through our dog doors.

September 11 terrorist attacks sparked 20-year battle for victim's twin brother
ABC
10 September 2021
"Alcohol was something that I used to numb the pain and, many years down the track, it was anything to get me out of myself," he said. "There was shopping, gambling and alcohol — and then drugs.

WA leads the nation with the highest number of drug overdose deaths
ABC
1 September 2021
Do you know someone who has accidentally overdosed? New research has today revealed that since the turn of this century there have been more than 34,000 overdose deaths in Australia and most of them are unintentional.

International Overdose Awareness Day
Penington Institute
31 August 2021
International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. Time to Remember. Time to Act. The event has been run by the Penington Institute since 2012.

The uncomfortable truth about drug overdose and suicide
Monash University
29 August 2021
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 2000 Australians have died as a result of a drug overdose, highlighting the urgent need to prioritise public health interventions and policies that work.

If you’re drinking or betting more in lockdown, you’re not alone. But watch for these signs of addiction
The Conversation
11 August 2021
For the millions of Australians currently living under lockdowns — many without clarity on when things might return to “normal” — there’s no doubt the restrictions on our day-to-day lives present a variety of challenges and hardships. But for people who have addictions, or who are at risk of developing an addiction, lockdowns can pose a unique set of difficulties.

'Huge stigma' attached to ice addiction prevents people from seeking help, treatment
ABC
25 July 2021
Jack Nagle was 19 when he was introduced to crystal methamphetamine, or ice, for the first time. As his use increased, Jack experienced periods of psychosis, often remembering little, if anything, of those episodes. The toll it took on his health and on his relationships was devastating.

Pressure to limit opening hours to prevent problem gambling
ABC
3 May 2021
"You don't want people to know that you are gambling money away because people don't understand it, that it is an illness."

Addiction almost killed AFL star Rod Owen, but he was hiding the agony of abuse
ABC
3 April 2021
As evening approached on October 21, 2018, an emaciated, sickly man with hollow eyes and an agitated manner staggered along Bay Street in Port Melbourne, limping and muttering, scattering startled passers-by. Could it really be him? The once-great AFL footballer? Was it really Rod Owen?

‘She saved my life’: how a stranger helped Fiona O’Loughlin fight her alcoholism
The Age
29 January 2021
Comedian Fiona O’Loughlin, 57, was homeless and battling alcoholism when she met Sue Underwood, 59, a nurse turned hospitality entrepreneur. The encounter proved a turning point for them both

Rethink Addiction Webinar
Rethink Addiction
18 December 2020
Off the back of the incredible SBS series, Addicted Australia, and all of the support that Rethink Addiction received from our partners and the general public, we wrapped up 2020 with a free virtual event to discuss the role of frontline workers in the alcohol and other drugs (AoD) space.

Healthcare workers want an integrated approach to addiction
ABC
24 November 2020
GPs, paramedics and addiction support service workers say they are 'stretched to the limit' when responding to and treating people living with an addiction.

Fiona O'Loughlin's Battle Against The Drug That Kills You As You Kick It
Mamamia
15 November 2020
In your circle of family and friends, it's estimated that at least 7 of them will have faced a battle with addiction at some stage of their lives. The Quicky investigates the drug that is legal and an accepted social lubricant, but is also one of the deadliest drugs to ditch.

Australia's Ice Epidemic: How One Town Fought Back
Turning Point, Odyssey House
6 July 2022
As the rates of meth addiction sweep Australia at an alarming pace, access to rehabilitation facilities has become increasingly challenging – particularly for addicts in isolated rural towns. The most recent available data from the non-profit addiction research and education centre Turning Point shows that episodes of care for alcohol and illicit drugs occur at more than twice the state-wide rate.

RACGP calls for action on drug reform
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Addiction Medicine had seen numerous other inquiries into illegal drug use come and go without any making ‘much difference’ and feared the latest iteration would be more of the same.

Why don't politicians want to talk about the gambling industry? Political donations
Alliance for Gambling Reform
12 May 2022
"Given the concern that exists across our community about the harm sports betting is doing, it could be somewhat surprising that it has been absent from the current election campaign"

Rod's been using heroin for 38 years. This is what he wants you to know about drug addiction
ABC
1 May 2022
When Rod was homeless, he needed to find places he could inject heroin without being seen. That's how he ended up overdosing in the bathroom at the Victoria Park train station. He said he would have died if it had not been for the person who happened to be in the stall next to him who called an ambulance.

In Australia, slot machines are everywhere. So is gambling addiction.
The Washington Post
26 April 2022
SYDNEY — One by one, the men and women recounted lives ruined, relationships severed, bank accounts emptied. A young father stared at the ceiling in shame as he described another relapse. A burly man’s voice broke as he recalled stealing from his sons’ piggy bank to fuel his habit. A woman on Zoom clutched her cat to her chest as she described hitting “rock bottom.”

Parental gambling affects 200,000 Australian children, new study
Women's Health Australia
3 April 2022
Nearly 200,000 children under the age of 15 in Australia are exposed to moderate or problem gambling by their parents, according to a landmark new study.

Study finds methamphetamine the most consumed illicit drug nationwide
The Guardian
19 March 2022
Study finds methamphetamine the most consumed illicit drug nationwide – and the problem is worse outside the cities

Two beers a day can age your brain
News.com.au
13 March 2022
Just two beers a day can age your brain by the equivalent of 10 years, according to a new study. The UK study, published in Nature, found that a couple of pints or glasses of wine with dinner in the evening could be accelerating ageing.

It’s time to decriminalise personal drug use. Here’s why
Turning Point
9 March 2022
At present, policing of our failed drug laws overwhelmingly targets everyday people who use drugs. In Victoria, for example, almost 95% of drug arrests are of individual users, with 80% of all drug arrests last year only for drug possession or use.

Do you have anxiety and drink alcohol to cope? It could be making things worse
ABC
27 February 2022
Many people drink alcohol as a way of coping with or managing symptoms of anxiety. While it may provide momentary relief, in the long-term alcohol makes anxiety worse by disrupting chemicals and processes in the brain.

Grill’d co-founder Geoff Bainbridge quits Lark Distilling board over alleged drug use video
The Guardian
16 February 2022
If we want to change the conversation about addiction, it's time to stop weaponising drug use.

'The stigma holds you back’: Public mood shifts on illegal drugs
Uniting
13 February 2022
Rebecca is convinced, both from her personal and professional experience, that drug addiction should be treated as a health issue.

Australians left with bigger thirst for alcohol as pandemic drinking habits stick
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
4 February 2022
Australians who drank more during the height of the pandemic risk entrenching a bad habit, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) has said, as some struggle to reduce their intake.

Lockdowns behind worsening ice use
NDARC and Turning Point
28 January 2022
Turning Point director Professor Dan Lubman said his support services and hotlines had seen a “dramatic increase” in harms related to alcohol, drugs and gambling since the pandemic started.

Stop alcohol companies and lobbyists working to undermine health policy
FARE
24 January 2022
The alcohol industry has borrowed from tobacco companies’ playbook in the strategies they use to resist effective public health interventions, according to a policy brief released recently by the World Heart Federation.

Australian alcohol lobby urges WHO to abandon plan to slash consumption
FARE
21 January 2022
Public health advocates warn that alcohol companies, including the Australian industry, are hampering international efforts to tackle the harm caused by drinking and seeking to undermine scientific evidence as the WHO consults on new measures.

Has COVID-19 changed Australia’s alcohol consumption?
RACGP
11 January 2022
Surprisingly it is younger Australians who have reduced their alcohol use, whereas those in childcaring roles, particularly middle-aged women, have increased their intake.

Some sober thoughts post-lockdown
Her Canberra
4 January 2022
As I sit down to write this, I check my calendar and see I am coming up to 80 days without drinking alcohol.

Thank you for your support in 2021
Rethink Addiction
23 December 2021
Get the December update and the year in review in this #RethinkAddiction blog update

Mahalia Barnes speaks candidly about her family's battles with addiction
Daily Mail
18 December 2021
Mahalia Barnes speaks candidly about her family's battles with addiction and says she is 'proud' of father Jimmy for being open about his struggles

‘Risky levels’: Australia are the heaviest drinkers in the world, survey finds
The Guardian
3 December 2021
Australians have been named the heaviest drinkers in the world after spending more time drunk in 2020 than any other nation. An international survey has found Australians drank to the point of drunkenness an average of 27 times a year, almost double the global average of 15. Almost a quarter of Australians reported feeling regret for becoming intoxicated.

‘Unapologetically truthful and unapologetically Blak’:
The Guardian
29 November 2021
Baarka didn’t come to mess around. Born Chloe Quayle, the 26-year-old rapper was a former teenager (living with an ice addiction) who did three stints in jail – during her last, five years ago, she gave birth to her third child.

Lockdowns affected our relationship with alcohol. Here’s what comes next
The New Daily
21 November 2021
New guidelines developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council recommend no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks on any given day.

Rethink Addiction November Campaign Update
Rethink Addiction
11 November 2021
Get the latest information on the campaign to #RethinkAddiction. Check out our new partners and recent events.

Time to prevent and minimise gambling harms
Turning Point
26 October 2021
The Royal Commission found that 7.5% of people struggling with gambling reported that their gambling had contributed to or caused a suicide attempt or ideation. That’s 2,112 suicide attempts or ideation among high-risk gamblers, and a further 8,802 suicide attempts or ideation among low to medium risk gamblers, within the previous 12 months.

Three finalist films are shortlisted for the 2021 Walkley Documentary Award
The Walkleys
21 October 2021
The Walkley Foundation announced finalists for the 2021 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism, with Addicted Australia shortlisted for the Documentary Award.

Kevin Rudd's ex-bodyguard Gary Fahey reveals how he squandered $1.7million on a gambling addictio
Daily Mail Australia
19 October 2021
Fahey is now rebuilding his life and works as a gym owner focusing on men's health and addiction. 'I've been to the depths of hell in my own life,' he said to the camera. 'I let down everybody. I want my family to know that their faith in me wasn't misled.

Alcohol use in children, and how parents can make a difference
Matilda Centre
26 September 2021
Australian research and also research in the US and Europe is starting to show, that giving a child any alcohol at all is increasing their chance of binge drinking, and it's actually then increasing their chance of seeking alcohol elsewhere.

Push to ban credit cards in online gambling
News.com.au
10 September 2021
There are calls to ban the use of credit cards in online betting platforms over fears they are causing irreparable financial harm.

Urgent call to combat crisis killing more Aussies than Covid-19
News.com.au
31 August 2021
While deaths from drug overdoses are largely hidden from the public eye, chilling data has revealed just how urgently the issue needs addressing as a national health crisis.

Urgent call to combat crisis killing more Aussies than Covid-19
Penington Institute
31 August 2021
For six consecutive years, drug-related fatalities have surpassed 2000 — more than the road toll and deaths related to Covid-19, according to findings released by the Penington Institute.

The uncomfortable truth about drug overdose and suicide
Monash University
29 August 2021
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 2000 Australians have died as a result of a drug overdose, highlighting the urgent need to prioritise public health interventions and policies that work.

Study shows COVID-19 restrictions leads to increased alcohol-related harms
Monash University
5 August 2021
New research examining ambulance attendances for alcohol-related harms during COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria has found that attendances to homes increased by 9 percent in 2020, with those from more socioeconomic advantaged areas showing the largest percentage change.

How can opioid deaths be reduced?
RACGP
3 June 2021
It is no revelation that death rates among people with opioid dependence is higher than that of the general population.

How to know if you can quit alcohol alone or need professional help
ABC
7 April 2021
Whether you're planning to go completely sober or just cut