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Aboriginal health professionals get valuable tool in fight against substance misuse

For the first time in Australia, Aboriginal health professionals will have access to a plain English, up-to-date and evidence-based handbook to help them in their work to tackle alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems.

The Handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work will be officially launched today at the second National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference (NIDAC 2012) in Fremantle, Western Australia.

The book is the result of a unique partnership between a University (University of Sydney) and Aboriginal and mainstream alcohol and drug agencies. This collaboration has resulted in a publication that, while firmly founded on evidence, remains a very practical tool.

As well as advice on alcohol and drug treatment and prevention, the handbook contains sections to help with the many other complex challenges that Aboriginal clinicians face in the field, including the wide range of physical, mental, social and legal problems that many of their clients experience.

Visit the FARE shop to purchase a hard copy of the handbook - from 1pm EST today

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Drink Tank

On 30 March this year, FARE launched Drink Tank, a new blog that brings people together from across Australia and the globe, to showcase a wide range of opinions and perspectives about alcohol policy and community concerns.

Drink Tank is the go-to place for finding out about what’s happening in the alcohol space, what the industry are up to, and to hear from people who work on the front line, dealing with alcohol issues on a daily basis. It’s a place where your voice is heard, and your questions are answered.

Our regular contributors include public health experts, frontline emergency workers, everyday mums and dads, policy makers, journalists and media personalities, recovering alcoholics, alcohol researchers, professional bloggers, and young people.

Since our launch on 30 March, Drink Tank has generated a groundswell of attention from mainstream media outlets and professional bloggers, to politicians and influencers in the health sector, and everyday Australians.

If you’ve got something to say about alcohol, drop our team a line, we’d love to hear your story!

Jump on to Drink Tank and have a look around, make a comment, subscribe to the e-newsletter, vote in the poll, or get in touch with your feedback! Tweeps can follow Drink Tank at @DrinkTankAU.

Thank you, we look forward to chatting with you soon!

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Industry fronts FASD Inquiry

Last week FARE released a detailed analysis of the alcohol industry’s submissions to a Parliamentary Inquiry, which exposed a raft of false, misleading and unfounded claims.

The damning finding came as alcohol industry representatives met in Canberra to present to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), and calls into doubt the veracity of the industry claims.

FARE analysed four alcohol industry submissions to the Inquiry and found that between them, the alcohol industry bodies made a total of ten false or misleading claims regarding FASD, and the effectiveness of interventions to prevent FASD.

Demonstrating a total lack of commitment to preventing FASD, two of the industry submissions even talk down the need for action, suggesting current activities to prevent FASD are sufficient.

Click here to read the report

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Congratulations to the Australian Drug Foundation - Good Sports funding

On 28 May the FARE team joined The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Minister for Sport, representatives from the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, members of the sporting community, and Australian Drug Foundation staff for the announcement of the Australian Government's ongoing funding towards the Good Sports program.

More than 5000 community sporting clubs and their one million participants are involved in the Good Sports program across Australia, which has seen a 22 per cent drop in risky drinking among club members on match day since it was introduced in 2001.

The Government's new $8.9 million investment will help the Australian Drug Foundation reach its goal of having 6500 clubs participating by 2014.

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