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Heroin In Australia
Heroin is classified as an opioid drug produced from the opium poppy. The illicit use of heroin in Australia emerged during the 1960s throughout the Vietnam War. Its origins have been linked to American troops stationed in major cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, who introduced the drug to the red-light districts whilst on their recreational leave. Since then, the use of heroin amongst the general Australian population has fluctuated, with reports of a shortage occurring at the turn of the century. It is now believed to be the fourth most common principle drug of concern in Australia, with reports noting a decline in the use of the drug since the early 2000s. Currently, the illegal use of heroin in Australia is low, despite the market being highly stable. Trends in usage The use of heroin in Australia saw a sharp increase during the 1990s, which is now known as the Australian heroin epidemic. This epidemic was accompanied by a surge of new heroin users, specifically in New Sou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brown powders sold illegally around the world as heroin have variable "cuts". Black tar heroin is a variable admixture of morphine derivatives—predominantly 6-MAM (6-monoacetylmorphine), which is the result of crude acetylation during clandestine production of street heroin. Heroin is used medically in several countries to relieve pain, such as during childbirth or a heart attack, as well as in opioid replacement therapy. It is typically injected, usually into a vein, but it can also be smoked, snorted, or inhaled. In a clinical context, the route of administration is most commonly intravenous injection; it may also be given by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection, as well as orally in the form of tablets. The onset of effects is usuall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drug Metabolism
Drug metabolism is the metabolic breakdown of drugs by living organisms, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. More generally, xenobiotic metabolism (from the Greek xenos "stranger" and biotic "related to living beings") is the set of metabolic pathways that modify the chemical structure of xenobiotics, which are compounds foreign to an organism's normal biochemistry, such as any drug or poison. These pathways are a form of biotransformation present in all major groups of organisms and are considered to be of ancient origin. These reactions often act to detoxify poisonous compounds (although in some cases the intermediates in xenobiotic metabolism can themselves cause toxic effects). The study of drug metabolism is called pharmacokinetics. The metabolism of pharmaceutical drugs is an important aspect of pharmacology and medicine. For example, the rate of metabolism determines the duration and intensity of a drug's pharmacologic action. Drug metabolism also affects mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Carr
Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947) is an Australian retired politician and journalist who served as the 39th Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, as the leader of the NSW Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He later entered federal politics as a New South Wales senator, and served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2013. Following his departure from politics he served as the Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) from 2014 to 2019 at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Carr was born in Sydney and attended the University of New South Wales. Before entering politics he worked as a journalist. Carr entered the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1983, and the following year became a cabinet minister. He served under Neville Wran and Barrie Unsworth until the Labor government was defeated in a landslide at the 1988 state election. Carr subsequently replaced Unsworth as party leader, thus becoming leader of the oppos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Commission Into The New South Wales Police Service
The Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service, also known as the Wood Royal Commission, was a royal commission held in the State of New South Wales, Australia between 1995 and 1997. The Royal Commissioner was Justice James Roland Wood. The terms of reference were to determine the existence and extent of corruption within the New South Wales Police; specifically, it sought to determine whether corruption and misconduct were "systemic and entrenched" within the service, and to advise on the process to address such a problem. In 1995, the Commission received letters patent widening the terms of reference to include investigating the activities of organised paedophile networks in New South Wales, the suitability of care arrangements for at-risk minors and the effectiveness of police guidelines for the investigation of sex-offences against minors. Investigations and powers The Commission was granted considerable powers, even by the standards of a Royal Commiss ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supervised Injection Site
Supervised injection sites (SIS) are medically supervised facilities designed to provide a hygienic environment in which people are able to consume illicit recreational drugs intravenously and prevent deaths due to drug overdoses. The legality of such a facility is dependent by location and political jurisdiction. Supervised injection sites are part of a harm reduction approach towards drug problems. The facilities provide sterile injection equipment, information about drugs and basic health care, treatment referrals, access to medical staff, and, at some facilities, counseling. Most programs prohibit the sale or purchase of recreational drugs at the facility. Terminology They are also known as ''overdose prevention centers (OPC)'', ''supervised injection facilities'', ''safe consumption rooms'', ''safe injection sites'', ''safe injection rooms'', ''fix rooms'', ''fixing rooms'', ''safer injection facilities (SIF)'', ''drug consumption facilities (DCF)'', ''drug consumption roo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Light District
A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particularly associated with female street prostitution, though in some cities, these areas may coincide with spaces of male prostitution and gay venues. Areas in many big cities around the world have acquired an international reputation as red-light districts. The term ''red-light district'' originates from the red lights that were used as signs for brothels. Origins of term Red-light districts are mentioned in the 1882 minutes of a Woman's Christian Temperance Union meeting in the United States. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' records the earliest known appearance of the term "red light district" in print as an 1894 article from the '' Sandusky Register'', a newspaper in Sandusky, Ohio. Author Paul Wellman suggests that this and other t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sex Industry
The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide Sex worker, sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related services, such as prostitution, strip clubs, host and hostess clubs and sex-related pastimes, such as pornography, sex-oriented men's magazines, pornographic film, sex movies, sex toys and Sexual fetishism, fetish or BDSM paraphernalia. Sex channels for television and Prepayment for service, pre-paid sex movies for video on demand, are part of the sex industry, as are adult movie theaters, sex shops, peep shows, and strip clubs. The sex industry employs millions of people worldwide, mainly women. These range from the sex worker, also called adult service provider (ASP) or adult sex provider, who provides sexual services, to a multitude of support personnel. Etymology The origins of the term ''sex industry'' are uncertain, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood-borne Disease
A blood-borne disease is a disease that can be spread through contamination by blood and other body fluids. Blood can contain pathogens of various types, chief among which are microorganisms, like bacteria and parasites, and non-living infectious agents such as viruses. Three blood-borne pathogens in particular, all viruses, are cited as of primary concern to health workers by the CDC-NIOSH: HIV, hepatitis B (HVB), & hepatitis C (HVC). Diseases that are not usually transmitted directly by blood contact, but rather by insect or other vector, are more usefully classified as vector-borne disease, even though the causative agent can be found in blood. Vector-borne diseases include West Nile virus, zika fever and malaria. Many blood-borne diseases can also be contracted by other means, including high-risk sexual behavior or intravenous drug use. These diseases have also been identified in sports medicine. Since it is difficult to determine what pathogens any given sample of blood c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Methadone Maintenance
Methadone maintenance treatment is the use of the medicine methadone, administered on an ongoing basis, as treatment for dependence on heroin or other opioids. Methadone is an opioid agonist, binding to the same receptors in the brain as heroin or other opioids. It works by relieving withdrawal symptoms and may cause respiratory depression and/or euphoria in some patients at higher doses. Known to be one of the best researched of the medically assisted approaches to addiction treatment. Methadone maintenance reduces the cravings for or use of other opioids, and reduces risk of fatal overdose from street drugs. Involving a daily dose of prescribed medicine, methadone maintenance has been termed "a first step toward social rehabilitation" because it increases retention of patients in treatment, relieves them from the need to find, buy and use multiple daily doses of street opioids, and offers a legal medical alternative. Modality Introduced as an analgesic in the US in 1947, me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Needle Sharing
Needle sharing is the practice of intravenous drug-users by which a needle or syringe is shared by multiple individuals to administer intravenous drugs such as heroin, steroids, and hormones. This is a primary vector for blood-borne diseases which can be transmitted through blood (blood-borne pathogens). People who inject drugs (PWID) are at an increased risk for Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV due to needle sharing practices. From 1933 to 1943, malaria was spread between users in the New York City area by this method. Afterwards, the use of quinine as a cutting agent in drug mixes became more common. Harm reduction efforts including safe disposal of needles, supervised injection sites, and public education may help bring awareness on safer needle sharing practices. Infections Blood-borne diseases are transmitted when a susceptible person uses a needle that was previously used by a person who is infected with these pathogens; hence, sharing needles with other individuals is not a safe pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, and yellow tinged skin occurs. The virus persists in the liver in about 75% to 85% of those initially infected. Early on, chronic infection typically has no symptoms. Over many years however, it often leads to liver disease and occasionally cirrhosis. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will develop serious complications such as liver failure, liver cancer, or dilated blood vessels in the esophagus and stomach. HCV is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact associated with injection drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment, needlestick injuries in healthcare, and transfusions. Using blood screening, the risk from a transfusion is less than one per two million. It may also be spread from an infected mother to her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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