An investigation of illicit tobacco use - its prevalence, economic impact and the motivations and perceptions of consumers. Black market tobacco costs the Australian government at least $450 million in lost taxes per annum. Little is known about the prevalence and economics of illicit tobacco use, or the motivations, attitudes and perceptions of consumers. Using a national telephone survey of licit and illicit tobacco consumers, we will investigate their economic thresholds, decision-making pr ....An investigation of illicit tobacco use - its prevalence, economic impact and the motivations and perceptions of consumers. Black market tobacco costs the Australian government at least $450 million in lost taxes per annum. Little is known about the prevalence and economics of illicit tobacco use, or the motivations, attitudes and perceptions of consumers. Using a national telephone survey of licit and illicit tobacco consumers, we will investigate their economic thresholds, decision-making processes, and perceptions of health effects. Our work will lead to improved supply and demand reduction measures for illicit tobacco, and enable development of appropriately targeted health promotion strategies, generating enduring benefit to Australia's economy and public health. Read moreRead less
Reducing alcohol misuse: The efficacy of a comprehensive accreditation intervention in community sports clubs. The prevention of alcohol misuse is increasingly recognised as a priority by State and Commonwealth governments, and the community alike. A similar increasing recognition of the role of sport in the occurrence of such misuse has resulted in a call for action in this community setting. Very limited data are available regarding effective intervention strategies in sports clubs. The propos ....Reducing alcohol misuse: The efficacy of a comprehensive accreditation intervention in community sports clubs. The prevention of alcohol misuse is increasingly recognised as a priority by State and Commonwealth governments, and the community alike. A similar increasing recognition of the role of sport in the occurrence of such misuse has resulted in a call for action in this community setting. Very limited data are available regarding effective intervention strategies in sports clubs. The proposed intervention directly addresses this knowledge deficit. In addressing the culture of excessive alcohol consumption in sports clubs, the intervention, should it be effective, has the potential to contribute to a reduction in both short and long term alcohol harms in Australia.Read moreRead less
Do perceptions of morality of alcohol, tobacco & cannabis use influence uptake in high school? In Australia, the cost of drug use was estimated at $34.4 billion in 1998-89. Preventing or delaying alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among adolescents is a way of reducing substance use among adults, and therefore, reduces the health, social and economic costs associated with substance use. This study will assess the protective/vulnerability effect of a range of variables on youth substance use i ....Do perceptions of morality of alcohol, tobacco & cannabis use influence uptake in high school? In Australia, the cost of drug use was estimated at $34.4 billion in 1998-89. Preventing or delaying alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use among adolescents is a way of reducing substance use among adults, and therefore, reduces the health, social and economic costs associated with substance use. This study will assess the protective/vulnerability effect of a range of variables on youth substance use including morality and legitimacy concepts. These data will guide the development of curriculum components to enhance the effect of school-based interventions with respect to substance use, and provide practical recommendations for community interventions targeted at substance use.Read moreRead less
What works best for youth smoking prevention messages? In Australia, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease, resulting in over 19,000 deaths annually. The morbidity and mortality associated with smoking costs the community over $21 billion a year. People who start smoking when they are young are more likely to smoke heavily as adults, to become more dependent on nicotine and to be at increased risk of smoking-related illness or death. This research study will provi ....What works best for youth smoking prevention messages? In Australia, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease, resulting in over 19,000 deaths annually. The morbidity and mortality associated with smoking costs the community over $21 billion a year. People who start smoking when they are young are more likely to smoke heavily as adults, to become more dependent on nicotine and to be at increased risk of smoking-related illness or death. This research study will provide practical recommendations for future tobacco control television advertising targeted at youth in terms of the elements featured in tobacco control advertisements that increase advertising effectiveness. Read moreRead less
Dynamic social systems and adolescent alcohol/tobacco use: A new cusp catastrophe model. This research will substantially improve our understanding of the development of adolescent high-risk behaviours. It will directly inform multimodal prevention strategies by demonstrating how substance use, peer factors, and parent relationships unfold over time. This is much needed because most prevention strategies are too simplistic to address complex precursors to alcohol/tobacco use. The research wil ....Dynamic social systems and adolescent alcohol/tobacco use: A new cusp catastrophe model. This research will substantially improve our understanding of the development of adolescent high-risk behaviours. It will directly inform multimodal prevention strategies by demonstrating how substance use, peer factors, and parent relationships unfold over time. This is much needed because most prevention strategies are too simplistic to address complex precursors to alcohol/tobacco use. The research will benefit health researchers in and beyond Australia who seek to understand behaviours that do not adhere to conventional assumptions. Collaboration with researchers from leading national and international centres will enhance Australia's research reputation and will attract postgraduates and researchers to Australia.Read moreRead less
An investigation of the nature and effects of point-of-sale promotions for alcohol beverages. There is increasing evidence that alcohol consumption is influenced by alcohol advertising, pricing, and marketing activities. However, the current lack of clear evidence on the effect of different promotions (such as reduced-price drinks, competitions etc) means that the current guidelines are unclear and unenforceable. This project will provide clear guidance for policy makers on the effects of the di ....An investigation of the nature and effects of point-of-sale promotions for alcohol beverages. There is increasing evidence that alcohol consumption is influenced by alcohol advertising, pricing, and marketing activities. However, the current lack of clear evidence on the effect of different promotions (such as reduced-price drinks, competitions etc) means that the current guidelines are unclear and unenforceable. This project will provide clear guidance for policy makers on the effects of the different forms of alcohol promotions, allowing for better monitoring and regulation of alcohol marketing. The key benefit of this project lies in the potential to develop a clear strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm by addressing inappropriate marketing and promotion of alcohol. Read moreRead less
Young injecting drug users, embodied identities and social worlds: an ethnographic study. This research explores the social experience of young injecting drug users, mapping processes of initiation, the hidden drug experience, and modes of maturing out of drug use. It analyses and compares the trajectories of young drug users in both rural and urban contexts, focusing on the experience of embodied selfhood, social worlds and identities, exploring injecting use as a medium of relationship with t ....Young injecting drug users, embodied identities and social worlds: an ethnographic study. This research explores the social experience of young injecting drug users, mapping processes of initiation, the hidden drug experience, and modes of maturing out of drug use. It analyses and compares the trajectories of young drug users in both rural and urban contexts, focusing on the experience of embodied selfhood, social worlds and identities, exploring injecting use as a medium of relationship with the self and the other, and mapping social networks and cultures of risk. It will develop key implications for national and local drug policy in three critical areas: prevention, harm minimisation and withdrawal.Read moreRead less
Learning to Drink:a socio-cultural history of the introduction of alcohol to Indigenous Australians and a critique of existing explanations. The wide distribution of alcohol-related problems among Indigenous people is undoubtedly related to the ongoing legacy of Australia's colonisation. This study examines forces and factors that have shaped distinctive present-day Indigenous alcohol-related behavioural patterns, by analysing the history of interactions between Aborigines and colonisers around ....Learning to Drink:a socio-cultural history of the introduction of alcohol to Indigenous Australians and a critique of existing explanations. The wide distribution of alcohol-related problems among Indigenous people is undoubtedly related to the ongoing legacy of Australia's colonisation. This study examines forces and factors that have shaped distinctive present-day Indigenous alcohol-related behavioural patterns, by analysing the history of interactions between Aborigines and colonisers around alcoholic beverages. In this endeavour, the historical and cultural continuities in the style of drinking are the focus, rather than the number of consumers. Current understandings of problem drinking, emphasising distress and biology, impede progress and will be challenged. In contrast, a social learning model is conducive to optimism about implementing new treatment approaches.Read moreRead less
Drug Use by a Community Sample of Young Amphetamine Users in South-East Queensland â?' A Longitudinal Study. Drug use can impact on the national well being in a multitude of ways. In 1998-1999 the fiscal cost of licit and illicit drug use was estimated to be $34.4 billion, while drug-related crime is estimated to cost Australia $1.96 billion annually. This study is valuable in its capacity to inform evidence-based policy and practice addressing amphetamine uptake and amphetamine use trajectories ....Drug Use by a Community Sample of Young Amphetamine Users in South-East Queensland â?' A Longitudinal Study. Drug use can impact on the national well being in a multitude of ways. In 1998-1999 the fiscal cost of licit and illicit drug use was estimated to be $34.4 billion, while drug-related crime is estimated to cost Australia $1.96 billion annually. This study is valuable in its capacity to inform evidence-based policy and practice addressing amphetamine uptake and amphetamine use trajectories and harms. This has implications for developing strategies to enable young Australians to make healthy choices regarding amphetamine and other drug use, and for the broader economic and social benefits arising from healthy and productive individuals, families and communities.Read moreRead less
Turning Points: Redemption, Women and Alcohol in Melbourne, 1870-1945. History is one of the most effective forms of public communication, currently thriving in the public sphere in books, film, television, and in the passion for genealogy. It can be uniquely effective as a means of public health education, enabling individuals and communities to comprehend the causes and significance of public health problems and their solutions. Alcohol abuse remains a searing issue in Australian public health ....Turning Points: Redemption, Women and Alcohol in Melbourne, 1870-1945. History is one of the most effective forms of public communication, currently thriving in the public sphere in books, film, television, and in the passion for genealogy. It can be uniquely effective as a means of public health education, enabling individuals and communities to comprehend the causes and significance of public health problems and their solutions. Alcohol abuse remains a searing issue in Australian public health and private life. This history would be the first to explore the language, practice and experience of both addiction and treatment of alcoholic women, and would contribute to debate over current practice and policy.Read moreRead less