SUMMARY: Australian youth harm minimisation drug policies increased substance use and harm and were inferior to American abstinence polices. When Australia adopted abstinence polices, substance use and harm reduced

Professor John Toumbourou, Deakin University.

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Firstly, no credible individual on the planet concedes that recovery is better than prevention – However, prevention is always – always better than cure.

Three major demographics that must not only be considered but given highest priority in all drug policy and drug policy interpretations.

This better status of prevention is so because it considers and prioritises the following,

1. Citizens – Communities and their families

2. Children

3. Recovered and Recovering Alumni

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Here's a sobering thought: While your average recreational substance user is busy defending their "harmless fun," approximately 8.7 million children in the United States alone are living in households where at least one parent struggles with substance use disorder. That's right – one in eight children under 17 are watching their childhood disappear into the bottom of someone else's bottle or going up in someone else's smoke. Let's cut through the haze and look at what the research actually tells us about this "recreational" activity's impact on the next generation.

For complete investigative article

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While the carefree days of childhood are supposed to be a time of joy and wonder, the harsh reality is that too many young lives are marred by abuse, neglect, and exposure to toxic substances. A sobering new study from the University of Sydney has shed light on the long-lasting mental health consequences of such childhood trauma.

The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that a staggering 40% of common mental health conditions can be directly attributed to the impact of maltreatment during formative years. This includes:

• 21% of depressive disorder cases
• 24% of anxiety disorder cases
• 32% of drug use disorder cases
• 39% of self-harm cases and 41% of suicide attempts
• 27% of alcohol use disorder cases

In other words, the wounds inflicted on these vulnerable young minds don’t just heal with time – they fester, leading to a lifetime of emotional turmoil and anguish.

The culprits behind this mental health crisis are all too familiar: physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect. And let’s not forget the insidious impact of exposure to drugs and alcohol, which can further compound the trauma. It’s a veritable perfect storm of factors that rob children of their innocence and saddle them with invisible scars.

But what’s most alarming is that these issues aren’t just limited to the individual. The researchers estimate that eradicating childhood maltreatment could prevent over 1.8 million cases of mental illness in Australia alone. That’s a staggering societal cost, both in terms of human suffering and the strain on our healthcare system.

Yet, despite these sobering statistics, the conversation around childhood trauma and its mental health implications often remains hushed and stigmatised. It’s time to shed light on this silent epidemic and demand better support systems for vulnerable children and their families.

After all, the mind is a precious thing, and no child should have to navigate its darkest corners alone. It’s high time we prioritise prevention, intervention, and holistic healing – because the alternative is a generation haunted by the demons of their past, condemned to a lifetime of mental health struggles.

Source (WRD News)

Also see

• Child Abuse – Girls a Particular Target. (The AOD Factor?)
• Childhood maltreatment linked to greater cognitive difficulties than previously thought
• AOD Use and the Kincare Crisis