Culture central to rehabilitation

Gumbi Gumbi Drug and Alcohol Awareness Rehabilitation Centre is at the pinnacle of rehabilitation for substance abuse

Painkillers

Over-the-counter painkillers can be harmful to individuals, who may be unknowingly ingesting a chemical cocktail

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 […]

Josie Janz

Stats Height: 185cmWeight: 82kgAge: 21Mob: Torres Straight Islander (Thursday Island)Position/s: GD (Goal Defence) and GK (Goal Keeper)Nickname: Josie, JJ, or JosePets: None at the moment, but I had a pet rabbit once called Benny. Brothers and sisters: I have an older brother, Michael, and a younger sister, Alicia. How long have you played netball for? […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

A Growing Concern

Drinking alcohol can damage your unborn baby. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is brain damage and other disorders that can be caused to children through women drinking during their pregnancy. This is because alcohol interferes with the normal development of a foetus (the baby growing in the womb). FASD includes: Foetal alcohol syndrome Growth retardation; […]

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is when someone drinks a lot of alcohol over a couple of hours, or even non-stop over days or weeks. It’s a dangerous thing to do, because it can make the side-effects from alcohol even worse. Drinking alcohol damages your heart, brain, liver, muscles, pancreas, lungs, genitals (in guys), intestines, blood and nervous […]

Petrol Sniffing

Petrol sniffing has had a devastating impact in some communities. Apart from the effects it has on young people’s health, it has also led to increased violence, juvenile crime, property damage, poor school performance and family and social disruption. Sniffing petrol creates health problems because the led found in some petrol accumulates in the body. […]

Sensible Drinking

It’s all very well to talk about sensible drinking, what does it mean when someone talks about a standard drink? It’s confusing because a standard drink can come in all shapes and sizes, but all standard drinks contain about 10 grams of alcohol. The drinks are different sizes because some are stronger than others. But […]

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are a form of depressants known as downers. They are taken in pill form and affect the central nervous system by slowing down the mind and body. Barbiturates are not only highly addictive – they can also have damaging short- and long- term effects. Short-term effects range from a feeling of sleepiness and relaxation […]

GBH Gamma Hydroxybutyrate

GBH stands for Gamma hydroxybutyrate – or “grievous bodily harm”. As its nickname implies, this is a highly dangerous drug and should never, ever be used. It is a powerful, rapidly-acting, central nervous system depressant that is sold as a light-coloured powder that dissolves in liquids or in small vials in the form of an […]