Pursue drug harm reduction, not a punitive response

A Melbourne roundtable organised by Australia21 argues that the social and personal toll of drug use should be tackled through harm reduction measures rather than prosecution and imprisonment.

Better education and monitoring should reduce harm from opiods

Painaustralia is calling for better education and awareness around opioid use for pain management, in light of evidence of significant harms and increasing use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain.

The new drive to reduce smoking in Aboriginal communities

A new scheme is set to launch in 30 health services across Australia with the challenging aim of helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women not only understand the dangers of smoking during pregnancy, but to ultimately quit for good.

5 simple tips to help our kids cope and prosper

Psychologist Don Tustin says many of his adult clients would not be experiencing mental health issues now if they had learned better coping skills between the ages of four and eight.

Supermarkets must start to tackle obesity

Australian supermarkets must take more responsibility for their role in driving Australia’s worsening rates of obesity, according to a new study ranking the nutrition policies of Australia’s biggest food chains.

Australia needs a colonoscopy wait-time guarantee

Julien Wiggins, the Chief Executive Officer of Bowel Cancer Australia, calls for a colonoscopy wait-time guarantee to address delays in diagnosing Australia’s second biggest cancer killer.

Precision healthcare and genomics: The delicate balance between what to ask and what to tell

Precision healthcare and genomics could improve health outcomes and reduce costs, but care must be taken to avoid over-diagnosis and allay needless anxiety.

Sydney lock-out laws cut emergency room casualties

Controversial lockout laws introduced in 2014 in inner Sydney to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence have cut injuries, visits to emergency rooms and assaults on hospital staff.

Australia’s child and youth report card – Could do better

The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth urge state and federal government to prioritise the problems facing young Australians as a new report finds Australia in the middle of the pack on most key measures of childhood well-being.

The obesity paradox – myth or reality?

The ‘obesity paradox’ that suggests overweight people may enjoy some protection against heart disease has been challenged by a new population study. Can people really be ‘healthy at every size’?

Getting aged care innovation right

The aged care sector is undergoing sweeping reforms. Merlin Kong of innovAGEING calls for a renewed focus on innovation to improve the opportunities for older people to live meaningful, dignified, and socially relevant lives.

What about the survivors?

Research into those who have sustained traumatic brain injuries has been largely gender-neutral, however practitioner and UWS academic, Kate O’Reilly is currently conducting a study into the effects of brain injury on women.