Heavy Cannabis Use In Two Remote Aboriginal Communities: Prospects For A Population Based Intervention.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$301,814.00
Summary
The proposed study is a combined intervention and summative evaluation with two parallel strands. We proposed to develop, deliver and evaluate an educational instrument targeting the use of cannabis amongst Aboriginal people living in remote communities in the Northern Territory. Additionally we proposed to describe and model harmful behaviours and effects of substance misuse with a focus on cannabis and to explore in some detail Aboriginal cultural knowledge and attitudes towards harm and harmf ....The proposed study is a combined intervention and summative evaluation with two parallel strands. We proposed to develop, deliver and evaluate an educational instrument targeting the use of cannabis amongst Aboriginal people living in remote communities in the Northern Territory. Additionally we proposed to describe and model harmful behaviours and effects of substance misuse with a focus on cannabis and to explore in some detail Aboriginal cultural knowledge and attitudes towards harm and harmful behaviours related to substance misuse using self-reported estimates and life histories.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Methamphetamine Epidemic And Its Implications For Service Provision And Harm Reduction: The VicMeth Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,270,774.00
Summary
The Victorian methamphetamine epidemic has received extensive media coverage highlighting the devastating impact of the drug and resultant public concern. We will follow up a cohort of 800 methamphetamine smokers from metropolitan and regional Victoria bi-annually for a period of 5 years to determine the natural history of methamphetamine use to inform optimal intervention strategies and arrest the increases in harm observed in Victoria recently.
ACTION - Aggression In Children: Unravelling Gene-environment Interplay To Inform Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,871.00
Summary
Aggression inflicts a huge personal, psychological and financial burden on affected individuals, their relatives, and society at large. ACTION will deliver an overarching framework that combines a thorough understanding of pathways leading to aggression with a map of current gaps, best practices on clinical, ethical, legal, and social issues.
Preventing Alcohol Related-harms: Using Comparative Policy Analysis To Study The Effects And Development Of Local Government Alcohol Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Regulating the availability of alcohol is one of the most effective ways to reduce harm from alcohol consumption, and local governments have a significant role. This Fellowship provides the first systematic examination of the impact of local government regulation of alcohol availability. The findings can inform Australian planning and licensing policies to help support appropriate regulation of alcohol outlets in order to reduce alcohol-related harm.
New Approaches To Internet-based Substance Use Prevention For Australian Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,149.00
Summary
This research aims to explore internet-based prevention programs for substance use among young people. Specifically, this thesis aims to evaluate the online, cartoon-based Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis program and to develop and assess the Climate Schools: Ecstasy Module. It is anticipated that these programs will be effective in reducing alcohol and drug use, increasing drug-related knowledge and reducing intentions to use substances.
Ecstasy use is growing faster throughout the world than than any other drug of abuse. United Nations figures from 2003 show that it is used by more individuals than the combined total of cocaine and heroin users. Australia has the highest per capita use of 'Ecstasy' in the world with rates twice those of North Americal and Europe. As a result of this we also have a high rate of adverse effects. These can be immediate, and lead to death, or long term leading to brain damage and psychopathologies. ....Ecstasy use is growing faster throughout the world than than any other drug of abuse. United Nations figures from 2003 show that it is used by more individuals than the combined total of cocaine and heroin users. Australia has the highest per capita use of 'Ecstasy' in the world with rates twice those of North Americal and Europe. As a result of this we also have a high rate of adverse effects. These can be immediate, and lead to death, or long term leading to brain damage and psychopathologies. So far, no studies have been conducted,anywhere in the world, which have objectively examined the medical effects of 'ecstasy' in the dance clubs where it is used. Because of this, there is a lot of speculation on whether the animal based or hospital based studies are valid and relate to normal recreational use of this drug. This has led to a degree of suspicion by users and health professionals as to the medical problems claimed to be associated with the drug. This project extends a pilot study we undertook which has highlighted that in a recreational setting it is likely that specific individuals are susceptible to damage by 'ecstasy'. The purpose of this project is to examine this in detail, and identify who, and why some young persons are at risk of immediate life threatening outcomes from 'ecstasy' use or may develop brain damage later. The intended outcome is to provide clear evidence of adverse effects and why they occur. This evidence may be used to improve harm minimisation and treatment programs.Read moreRead less
Reduction Of Chronic Post-surgical Pain With Ketamine - ROCKet Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,823,395.00
Summary
Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a common complication of major surgery, and a significant burden on quality of life and ongoing health costs. Ketamine is a drug used by anaesthetists to treat severe acute surgical pain. Various small studies suggest that it may be unique in its ability to reduce the risk of CPSP. We propose a large trial of ketamine during & after anaesthesia for major surgery to test this. Demonstration of effectiveness would promote widespread change in clinical practice.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the leading causes of chronic pain both world-wide and in Australia for which there is a lack of treatments. Chronic pain arises from nerve fibres in the colon wall, which fail to 'reset' back to normal following inflammation. Targeting these nerve endings with drugs is a key advance in IBS treatment. This project will identify selective oxytocin analogues that act in the colon to lower pain in sensory nerves thus providing efficacious pain relief in IBS.