index substance abuse

[Link] Witness in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial denies he is a ‘liar and a fantasist’

Read: 2/4/2022 www.theguardian.com

A former SAS soldier who testified that Ben Roberts-Smith ordered him to stage a mock execution of a comrade during a training drill has defended himself in court against accusations he was a liar and fantasist who was trying to justify his own failures as a soldier.

afghanistan afghanistan invasion allegations aus dept of defence aus military aus sas australia australian court australian crime australian defence force australian military australian news australian war crimes ben roberts smith character witnesses civilian deaths civilian harm death defamation greater middle east military military social military support murder newspapers sas substance abuse us intelligence war crimes war criminals war in afghanistan witness testimony witness undermining


[Link] Tonga’s drug crisis: Why a tiny Pacific island is struggling with a meth epidemic

Read: 28/11/2021 www.theguardian.com

After more than four decades spent living in New Zealand, Ned Cook knew it was time to return to his home country of Tonga. His country was in the grip of a methamphetamine epidemic that was ripping families apart and overrunning the country’s hospitals and jails.

asia asia drugs child development children cocaine counselling crimes against children death domestic violence drug addiction drug busts drug dealing drug deaths drug laws drug markets drug rehabilitation drug routes drug therapy drug use drug violence drugs drugs and children gender based crime gender based violence gender inequity interviews manslaughter methamphetamine murder pacific islands prisons protecting children psychology public health public health crisis respite substance abuse suicide tonga tonga courts


[Link] Yumi’s story: Giving up alcohol for better rewards

Read: 14/11/2021 hellosundaymorning.org

Being a woman is like being everything for everyone. So you’re not just a playmate; you are the teacher, the chef and the cleaner. There are a bunch of roles that everyone wants you to fill, and they’re almost infinite. So you never really get to knock-off for the day.

alcohol personal stories sobriety stories of survival substance abuse



[Link] Alcohol linked to more cancers than thought, study finds

Read: 7/8/2021 www.theguardian.com

Consuming alcohol increases the risk of getting more cancers than previously thought, according to a major study, which also found that drinking coffee protects against liver cancer.

alcohol australia cancer public health substance abuse university research