Most Dangerous Addictions in Australia and Treatment

The world suffers from a drug and alcohol addiction epidemic, particularly in places like Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. It doesn’t discriminate on who gets addicted or what cultural background, religion, skin color, or age they are. In all countries around the globe, illegal and legal (prescription) drugs and liquor pose a problem for families, workplaces, universities, schools, law enforcement officers, and health workers. Substance abuse and addiction contributes to major psychological, physical, financial, and social problems.

They affect both the addict and those close to him or even the wider social community. This can certainly be seen with the island continent and nation known as Australia or the Land Down Under. Australians too have to deal with loads of dangerous addictions with drugs or alcoholism as well.

Drugs and Alcohol Addiction in Australia

According to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the majority of Australians have never used an illicit substance, and they constitute 60 percent of the population. Meanwhile, a good 14.7 percent of Australians from age 14 and up have used an illegal drug in 2009.

Also, 8 percent of the Australian population has only ever had an addiction problem with drugs in their lifetime. Furthermore, the organization’s Drugs in Australia 2010 Report also reveal the following percentages breakdown of those who’ve used illicit drugs in Australia.

• Hallucinogen Usage: 1.5 percent
• Tranquilizers or Sleeping Tablets Usage for Non-Medical Purposes: 1.5 percent
• Cocaine Usage: 2 percent
• Methamphetamine or Amphetamine Usage: 2 percent
• Ecstasy Usage: 3 percent
• Painkillers or Analgesics Usage for Non-Medical Purposes: 3 percent
• Cannabis Usage: 10 percent
• Alcohol Usage: 44 percent

Cannabis or marijuana is their most common drug of choice due to its popularity and hallucinogens is their least common drug of choice, such that more people use harder drugs than them. Because alcohol is legal and socially accepted in Australia, a whopping 44 percent of the population aged 14 and over take the non-illegal substance.

At any rate, expect the following perks and benefits you can get from addiction treatment.

• Referrals and Financial Support: Referrals to the right addiction treatment services are offered at most wellness or rehab centers as well as medical practitioners. This makes it easier for addicts to find help in their time of need. Meanwhile, financial support can be availed of from the Australian government.

• Antidiscrimination Policies: Addiction to drugs is documented and established as psychological and medical disorder. Thusly, appropriate antidiscrimination policies have also come about in order to keep previous drug users from being discriminated against when looking for jobs or fitting in at their neighborhood.

• Pharmaceuticals Top Frequency of Drug Use: The frequency of drug use can vary quite a bit from person to person in Australia, but the survey reports that the use of prescription or pharmaceutical drugs for non-medical purposes in particular is the most commonly reported type of drug used.

• More Than Once Within the Last Month: About 47 percent of regular drug users have reported to using prescription medicine for non-medical purposes for more than once in the last month relative to when the 2010 study was conducted. It certainly helps that these prescription medications were the easiest to obtain with the assistance of a doctor.

• Significant Health Problems from Misuse: When misused or used for recreational instead of medicinal purposes, significant health problems can arise from the abuse of prescription or pharmaceutical drugs. In particular, they can interact dangerously with other substances such as alcohol or other drugs. Incorrect usage can cause someone to have an adverse reaction to them.

• More Common in Women Than Men: According to the research, Australian women are likelier to abuse prescription drugs for non-medical or recreational purposes. This is because most women end up in denial regarding their drug use while finding a sense of legitimacy from getting a prescription medication instead of availing of an illegal drug.

Alcoholism in Australia

There’s a well-established drinking culture in Australia. A whole range of occasions including marriages, new jobs, births, funerals, and sporting events are commiserated or celebrated by drinking. The average Australian drinks over nine liters of pure alcohol every year. This makes Australia part of the “Top 30 Countries That Consume Alcohol Worldwide” list, right behind Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France.

• A Nation of Heavy Drinkers: Quite a lot of Australian families enjoy having alcohol with meals and over the weekend due to their history of heavy drinking. It’s also not unusual for this type of behavior to be passed down from one generation to the next, with children continuing the socially accepted trend that their parents have started.

• The Alcoholics Society: Many social circles attend social gatherings that take place in hotels, bars, or other places where drinks of the alcoholic variety are readily available. Therefore, it’s difficult for the average Australian who’s an alcoholic to separate themselves from drinking. It’s highly encouraged for people to drink and drink a lot, leading to many addicts who don’t feel like they have a problem at all.

• The Social Lubricant: Alcohol is harmless at low levels or when one drinks it moderately. However, this social lubricant of sorts is so ubiquitous and tied to Australian social culture that alcoholism is a natural consequence. It’s drunk as much for socializing as it is for the variety of tastes it’s served in. If you want to socialize with an Aussie, you buy him or her a drink.

• Highly Popular Types of Alcohol: In Australia, alcopops, spirits, cider, beer, and wine are highly popular. These drinks are also widely available to ensure that there’s a flavor and beverage to suit the palate of everyone within the Land Down Under. Alas, there are always going to be individuals who consume these drinks then become physical and psychologically dependent on the drink.

• Australia Actually Restricts Alcohol Consumption: The Australian government has done its share of restrictions to curb alcoholism in the island continent and nation. For example, alcohol can only be sold in authorized bottle shops, restaurants, and bars. What’s more, the age limit for purchasing and consumption of the drink is 18 years old.

• More about Australia’s Strict Alcohol Laws: Alcohol can only be bought with proof of age required for sales, which includes being allowed in nightclubs or bars. What’s more, Australia has strict laws when it comes to responsible alcohol service. It has mandates that if a person is inebriated, they’re not to be served any more drinks. If he is served drinks, then heavy fines will be given to the server.

• Alcohol, Disease, Complications, and Cancer: Alcoholism and alcohol abuse is a known health problem that contributes to quite a number of cases of injury and death as well as cancer development. About 3,000 Aussie deaths annually are linked to excessive consumption of alcohol. What’s more, 5 percent or over 5,000 of all cancers originate from chronic, long-term alcohol abuse.

• The Specifics of Alcoholism and Cancer: For your information, alcoholism is a significant factor in the development of all the most common cancers, which includes esophageal cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer. Excessive drinking is also the cause of up to 81,000 Australian hospitalizations every year.

From 2004 to 2005, the Australian community ended up getting an estimated $15 billion worth of expenses (in Australian dollars) from all the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and alcoholism. This is in accordance to a 2004-2005 report known as “Alcohol Consumption in Australia: A Snapshot”. Here are the most eye-opening statistics available from the report:

• By Population: The study claims that every nine Aussies drank alcohol at a high-risk level. This is about 2 million Australians or 13 percent of Australia’s population. 15 percent of Indigenous Australians have drunk at a high-risk level as well.

• By Rate of Consumption: 40 percent drank on a weekly basis and 8 percent have consumed alcohol on a daily basis. Most of the daily drinkers were aged 60 years and above (they were senior citizens), so they probably feel like they’ve gotten to the age where watching what you drink doesn’t matter anymore because they’re so close to death’s door.

• By Gender and By Binge Drinking Rate: Approximately 12 percent of women and 15 percent of men drink at high-risk levels. 4 percent of women and 12 percent of men have reporting doing some binge drinking (4-5 drinks or more in one sitting) in the last week. 1 in 10 females and 1 in 5 males aged 18-24 have done binge drinking at least one a week in the last year as well.

The effects of sustained and regular alcohol usage that borders on abuse are well-documented. They include productivity issues, financial hardship, damage to relationships, psychological issues, and physical health problems just to name a few. Alcoholism is also a factor in social burdens and crimes such as theft, burglary, murder, suicides, assaults, rapes and so forth.

Although Australia has its own version or charter of Alcoholics Anonymous available in its shores, treating alcoholism abroad might make more sense in case you wish to remove yourself from this culture that enables and encourages heavy or binge drinking in the first place.

Australia and Its Opiate Addiction Problem

For most governments and their law enforcement all over the world, heroin and opium addiction remains a major issue. In particular, heroin is considered one of the most highly addictive drugs in existence that can result in a number of serious social and health consequences when push comes to shove. When considering the Australian population at large, there’s only a comparatively small number of Aussies who use the drug because of its availability, purity, and fluctuating prices.

• Heroin Junkies and Opiate Prices: Alas, there are reports regarding the rise of Australian addicts, starting in 1997 when there were over 70,000 Australian heroin junkies. That number has only significantly increased since that time. In fairness to Australia, drug prices are prohibitively high compared to other countries, which were intentionally instituted by effective policing of the Australian government to reduce demand.

• Geographical Situation Acts as a Buffer: Because of Australia’s placement as the Land Down Under or island continent, its geography acts as a shield or buffer against the distribution of illegal drugs. This large continent that doubles as an island is surrounded by huge bodies of water. The high seas and oceans of the world force drug cartels to incur huge trafficking costs, resulting in high prices for these drugs.

• Liberal Policies with Heroin: In the Nineties, the first injection center that was medically supervised was established in Sydney for the same of treatment and minimizing harm for heroin addicts. The government believes in compassionate primary care responses instead of incarceration. They view addiction as a serious health problem rather than a crime that requires punishment.

• Safe Injection Houses and Their Impact: Injecting drug users in Australia are essentially provided with a clean and safe environment where they can get injected under supervision. They also have access to contact with health workers and nurses. These centers have been established for more than two decades and their impact can definitely be felt in the community.

• Immediate Opiate Overdose Treatment: In case an addict ends up overdosing, he can get immediate treatment if he ends up injecting in one of these safe injection houses. What’s more, the risk of an overdose is minimized due to the supervision of professional healthcare workers.

• Drug Pushing Not Allowed: The site doesn’t allow the purchase or distribution of drugs within its premises. Any drug dealing in the area is strictly prohibited. Criminal activity and drug pushing within these safe houses will be prosecuted with impunity. This is a place for addicts to inject with their own stash of heroin in a safe environment.

• Medical Interventions for Opiate Addiction: If you’re an Australian with an addiction to opioids, you can avail of a wide range of medical interventions to help you recovery from your condition, which includes prescription of medications like naltrexone or methadone to deal with your withdrawal symptoms as well as medically supervised detoxification.

With that said, the government of Australia continues to have a definite heroin and opiate addiction problem with its populace despite its liberal policies relating to them. However, it has more control over the spread of the drugs within its populace compared to other first-world countries. Thankfully, research and surveys indicate a rise in patients who receive treatment for their heroin addiction.

Certain Australians are also looking overseas for treatment in the form of rehab tourism. Places like Thailand allow them to get similar opiate and heroin addiction treatment that they can get stateside, with the added bonus of being more complete and holistic.

Methamphetamine Addiction in Australia

Methamphetamine or meth is a highly addictive and dangerous drug known to ruin lives. It’s essentially a powerful stimulant that’s been increasing its availability and usage in the Land Down Under as well as the rest of the world for only the past two decades or so. Meth is dangerous to both the community and the individual because it causes addicts to become delusional, manic, paranoid, and violent.

• Statistics Regarding the Rise of Meth Abuse: According to statistics, there has been a steady and alarming upswing in the drug being abused in Australia across all age groups and demographics. To be more specific, between 1996 and 2002, meth usage and supply grew ten times the previous amount. Then, since 2002, the amount has since doubled. The Australian government responded in kind, and it has somehow kept the number stagnant in the present.

• The Current Number of Meth Addicts: Back in 2006, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center of Australia estimated that there are 73,000 meth addicts. That’s more or less the same amount give or take a few hundred in 2016 or 10 years later.  According to the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, meth use has stabilized or even declined in recent years but existing meth users report higher rates of dependent and regular use.

• A Serious Problem to Resources and Treatments: Incidentally, according to Australian medical professionals, this steady number of meth addicts poses a serious issue to treatments and resources in the health industry. This is because these addicts often require 24/7 round-the-clock caretaking and medical observation that go beyond simple detoxification. Many of them end up becoming downright psychotic while under the influence of the drug.

• Methamphetamine’s Adverse Consequences: The side effects and complications of long-term meth usage are significant. You can end up with heart attacks, organ damage, loss of memory, convulsions and seizures, and brain damage from using the drug. Users can also end up with serious social, financial, and family problems including family issues, inability to socialize, problems with money, loss of jobs, and relationship breakdowns. Some users turn to property crime or prostitution to get their fix.

• Complications Related to Meth Usage: Because meth addicts are required to inject meth into their system in order to get their dangerous high, they run the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. They could also develop meth-mites and cellulitis to boot. Meanwhile, methamphetamine withdrawal can be immensely painful and long-lasting, such that many addicts might repeatedly try getting off of the drug without any success whatsoever.

Although Australia has successfully kept meth addiction rates from rising since 2006 through special programs and local rehab centers, it might be in your best interest to avail of treatment abroad since doing so can get you away from environmental triggers found in the country itself.

Conclusion

In the Land Down Under, there’s a small but significant amount of people who’ve used drugs, to the point that it’s becoming an epidemic of sorts that’s covered by international news. In any case, drug addiction is treated with various social, psychological, and medical treatments, which include counseling services or using methadone to help combat withdrawal symptoms when attempting to kick such bad habits.

You can also avail of rehab tourism services in order to get cheaper inpatient addiction rehab in places like Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand. Even when you take into travel costs into account, these rehabilitation or wellness centers tend to offer more rates that are much more affordable than local Australian rehab.

The Most Dangerous Addictions in Australia and Lanna Rehab in Thailand

Contact Lanna Rehab toll-free ASAP in order to get free consultation and quotes for their Thailand-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Thailand is a premier rehab tourism destination for Australian drug and alcohol rehabilitation thanks to its nearness. What’s more, wellness facilities like Lanna Rehab have extensive experience when it comes to substance abuse treatment of Australian alcoholism as well as meth, cocaine, and painkiller addictions. Call them right now because their lines are open 24/7.