ANTH106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Nicotine, Aust, Psychoactive Drug

• School: Macquarie University
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH106
• Professor: All

Document Summary

This lecture reviews international drug policy and the legislative options available for dealing with illicit drugs. Following a consideration of current legislation regarding illicit drugs and some of their harms, the lecture considers the importance of a harm minimisation approach and what it entails. Our guest lecturer, dr alex wodak, is one of the most prominent and authoritative voices in drug research and policy in australia. Australia approved 3 international drug treaties (1961, 1971, 1988) Counties approving these treaties have to pass laws banning certain drugs, punishing people found to have offended. 1985 australia adopted harm minimisation" as official national drug policy. Later defined: supply reduction + demand reduction + harm reduction". Aim to reduce availability of drugs, increase price, reduce purity. School based and mass education campaigns to discourage demand for drugs. Also involves drug treatment for people who want to cut down or stop. Some drug treatment effective, safe, cost effective e. g. methadone works well and cost-effective.