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Anti-smoking campaign kicks off
In a national first, a new hard hitting advertising campaign urging Indigenous Australians to break the chain and quit smoking hit the airwaves, newspapers and TV screens today as the Gillard Government continues its world leading action to combat tobacco use. This campaign depicts a young Indigenous woman reflecting on her own experience of having […]
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Drugs and Mental Health
Even if you have been a long term drug user and never experienced mental health problems before, that is no guarantee you will continue to be safe in the future. “There’s a very large association between mental ill health and drugs,” says Barbara. “Prolonged drug use is not good for mental health especially if you […]
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Give up the grog in Ocsober
“I’m really proud to be able to promote Ocsober,” says David. “I don’t drink myself and I’ve never been a big drinker because I like to get up every morning and feel good. I think Ocsober is a great idea because it helps to create awareness of exactly how much you are drinking and what […]
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Smoking – It’s killing us
Tobacco may be part of our past, but a new program aims to ensure the negative health and cultural (and financial) impacts don’t carry on into the future. “One study found that the average extended family in these remote communities spends the equivalent of one 4-wheel drive a year on cigarettes or $50,000” – Tom […]
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Can smoking give you cervical cancer?
Lungs aren’t the only part of the body that can develop cancer from smoking. We all know that smoking can cause lung cancer, but you may not know that it can also increase your risk of developing cervical cancer by up to 60 per cent. Recent statistics show that 49 per cent of Indigenous women […]
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Fuming over petrol
The number of sniffers has dropped since the Federal Government began subsidizing Opal fuel for petrol stations but there is still more to be done. The roll out of Opal fuel has helped with problem petrol sniffing in affected communities but problems still exist where there are rogue petrol stations or areas not yet switched […]
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Boost juice busted
Don’t cheat yourself short on the roids You’re hitting the gym, eating the right foods, getting plenty of rest and you’re still not as big as the other fellas. Then someone offers you a bottle of magic pills . . . More of our fellas than ever are finding their way into the top ranks […]
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Nicotine
Nicotine is a highly addictive, poisonous chemical substance found in tobacco leaves. Most nicotine is derived from a plant called Nicotiana tabacum, but there are many other species of plants that contain nicotine. It’s believed that Aborigines may have been among the first people to use tobacco. When you inhale tobacco smoke, it takes about […]
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Every Cigarette is doing you Damage
Cigarette smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death and disease in Australia, with over 19,000 people dying of smoking-related illness every year. One in two lifelong smokers will die from their addiction, and half of these people will die in middle age. Because over 50 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander […]
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Ditch the durries today!
Smoking and the Indigenous Community A 2009 study conducted by Flinders University found that there are three times as many smokers in Indigenous communities as in the general population. In the Northern Territory, 56 percent of Indigenous people smoke and about 20 percent of adult deaths in the Territory are smoking-related. Because over 50 per […]
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Heads up for butts out
If you say “I’ll give up one day”, here’s the day to do it National Youth Tobacco Free Day is on Friday 27 March and you don’t have to be young or a smoker to take part. Smoking is no longer considered cool, rebellious or attractive. For starters, cigarettes give you bad breath, stained teeth […]
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Marijuana use linked to testicular cancer
Marijuana use has been linked to an extremely aggressive form of testicular cancer, scientists have said in a study published this week. After studying a group of 369 American men aged between 18 to 22 with testicular cancer, and 979 in the same age bracket without the diseases, it was found that marijuana users were […]
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When you just can’t stop
Compulsive, obsessive and excessive, that’s an addiction It is most commonly associated with drugs and alcohol, but addiction is something that can affect people from all walks of life, including those who have never tried alcohol or taken a drug in their lives. The word addiction is generally used to describe an obsession, compulsion or […]
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Grog Rules
Learn to take control of the grog before it takes control of you. Most people think a few beers at a sausage sizzle or a couple of glasses of wine with dinner are okay. Sure, the grog is okay in moderation, but if you drink too much you can do serious damage to your body. […]
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Links to health information
Here you can find links to a whole bunch of other information resources, to help you eat better and exercise more. You’ll also find links to information about chronic disease, and where to get help. HEALTHY LIVING Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.auEverything you need to know about Indigenous Health in one place. Healthy Vibe https://deadlyvibe.com.au/vibe.asp?PageID=7Here you’ll […]
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Bottle Blues (Alcohol)
Don’t kid yourself – alcohol is a drug too. A lot of us don’t realise that, just like marijuana, ice or heroin, alcohol is a drug. And it’s not just any drug – it’s the most widely used drug in Australia. While there are some potential health benefits linked to the light consumption of alcohol, […]
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