6. Harm Minimisation and the National Drug Strategy Flashcards
what is drug related harm?
directly or indirectly affects the health, safety, security, social functioning and productivity of all Australians.
what is direct drug related harm?
illness and diseases, accident and injury
what is indirect harm (in general)?
Things like if we feel safe when we walk down the street, it is a sense of danger or things that can affect other people in the community
what do drug related harms cause or contribute to?
illness and disease, accident and injury violence and crime, family and social disruption, economic costs and workplace concerns.
what do illicit drug related harms include?
… in addition to drug-related harms, more likely to be prosecution and conviction, (impact of criminal conviction in somebody’s life) and involvement in production and distribution of illicit drugs.
what did the APS say in 2008 about drug-related harm?
Not all substance use is harmful, but the use of any psychoactive substance has the potential to cause harm, and the likelihood of harm occurring increases with greater level of use.
what are the misconceptions of drug related harm?
- The ‘addictive nature’ / dependence of a substance causes them to be harmful
- Harm most associated with illicit drugs
- Harms primarily affect the individual user
what drugs are most likely to lead to dependence?
nicotine and herioin
what does dependence require?
repetitive use (single use does not case addiction)
what is often mistaken and does not contribute, on their own to harm?
the chemical nature and addictive qualities of the drug
what does drug use ofen lead to?
leads to dependence and serious problems in a minority of cases
what are harms most associated with illicit drugs?
economic costs
what did Collins & Lapsley, 2008 discover with regards to illicit drug use between 2004-2005?
they looked at social costs related to substance use and found that most was spent on tobacco and alcohol
what are tangible harms?
things you can see (e.g. drink driving)
what are intangible harms?
things you cant see (e.g. quality of life)
what is most money spent on with illicit drugs>
crime
what is most money spent on with tobacco
production in the home
for every heavy/ frequent drinker, how many others are negatively affected?
four (Rumbold & Hamilton, 1998)
how do drug users impact overrall society/
they contribute to and reinforce social disadvantages
how do drug users impact on families?
neglect, violence, separation, financial and legal problems
what are children more likely to develop with parents who have drug problems?
behavioural and emotional problems, poorer school performance and victims of child maltreatment
how is work performance affected by drug use?
absenteeism, loss of productivity, work accidents
what percentage of crime is related to substance use?
70%
what are hte potential areas of harm?
acquisition, administration, context, relationship with other/societal relationships, intoxication or regular use and dependence
what is acquisition of drugs and how is it a harm?
how people get the drugs which include hanging out with certain peer groups, purchasing phony drugs online and risky contact with dealers
how is administration a risk of harm?
injection - Hepatitis C other STDs,
what is the safest way to administer a drug
by eating
what is involved in the contexts that could be an area of harm?
the environement, this ties in with relationships. e.g. celebration vs stress relief
what is an example of how relationships with others and in society a harm?
getting drug tested at work and losing job
what are the three factors in Thorley’s model of drug related harm?
dependence, regular use, intoxication
what are problems relating to dependence in Thorley’s model?
discomfort when refraining from use, inability to rest, phobias, isolation, withdrawal, anxiety, social problems, homeless, loss of control
what does Thorley mean by regular use
continued use over a longer period of tome
what are problems relating to regular use in Thorley’s model?
medical and health problems, child neglect, withdrawal, family problems, relationship problems, financial problems
what are problems relating to intoxication in Thorley’s model?
accidents, aggression/violence, marital disputes, suicides, drink driving, drowning, legal problems
Who developed the notion of Harm Minimisation and why?
Bob Hawke when he was prime minister because his family was heavily influenced by his daughter’s heroine addiction/
when was the Harm Minimisation notion developed?
1985
what did Brown et al say in the 1986 report regarding the Harm Minimization notion
Workshop report: ‘While there are still the traditional polarised views on the use of drugs, there is now increasingly a common ground within the Australian community on appropriate action on the abuse of drugs’
what was The Harm Minimisation workshop formally called?
Drugs in Australia: National action Workshop