Email RMIT ABC Fact Check Posted December 11, 2019 09:25:33 Photo: NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says drug dogs are successful in finding drugs 40 per cent of the time, and that a majority of people in the remaining cases admitted to "having had drugs in their pocket at some stage". (AAP: David Moir) Map: NSW The claimMusic festival season has kicked off around Australia, and so too has debate around how best to deal with the drug use associated with festivalsA recent coroner's report on the drug-related deaths of six young people at music festivals in NSW recommended the introduction of pill testing, an overhaul of strip searching and the scrapping of sniffer dogs at music festivals.NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said he would not ignore the recommendations, but has maintained he will not take on some of them.Speaking to ABC Radio Sydney on November 19, Commissioner Fuller stood by the use of drug detection dogs at music festivals and other public places such … [Read more...] about Are drugs found following a positive indication from a drug dog 40 per cent of the time?
Decriminalizing drug users
Health experts call for Australia to improve meth-induced psychosis treatment
Video PlayerClose SYDNEY, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A global review conducted by Australia's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales has found people who use the drug methamphetamine have a significantly higher risk of developing psychosis and other mental health problems. A growing health concern Down Under, use of the illicit narcotic has known locally as ice, has skyrocketed in recent years with NDARC figures indicating that meth and stimulant-related hospitalizations have increased from approximately 2,760 in 1999-00 to around 13,950 in 2017-18. Given this dramatic rise, leader of the study Associate Professor Rebecca McKetin said on Wednesday that Australia must take steps to improve its drug treatment programs. "Services for substance use and mental health are often separate, meaning that people who use substances do not get the care they need for mental health issues," she said. "More work is needed to ensure that people who use this … [Read more...] about Health experts call for Australia to improve meth-induced psychosis treatment
There’s money you can make selling your DNA. Shivom will help monetise it
Do you know a single strand of your hair might be worth millions? In hindsight, large corporations might be minting billions of dollars using your DNA with you being totally oblivious about it. Many visit genetic testing centres to find out what medical conditions or ailments they are likely to have. In order to do so, they submit their DNA in the form of a hair or spit. The center, in turn, sells the stored DNA to pharmaceutical companies, researchers, scientists and other third parties helping them in identifying genes with diseases, make improvements in drugs, enhance their research, and sometimes to even catch criminals. While the whole business is worth billions, the end consumers, i.e., the DNA owners receive nothing. To change this narrative, blockchain and healthcare enthusiasts Gourish Singla and Axel Schumacher teamed up and formed Shivom three years ago. Shivom is a platform which stores people’s DNA data, grants them complete ownership of their DNA, and set a … [Read more...] about There’s money you can make selling your DNA. Shivom will help monetise it
