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Alcohol and homicide in Australia [pdf - 0.36Mb]
Jack Dearden and Jason Payne. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no 372. Australian Institute of Criminology, July 2009
International research suggests alcohol consumption increases the number of homicides and that homicides involving alcohol differ significantly to non alcohol-related homicides. The current study sought to build on the limited Australian research on alcohol-related homicide by examining solved homicides recorded in the National Homicide Monitoring Program over a six year period. Of the 1,565 homicides, nearly half (47%) of the incidents were classified as alcohol related and of those, over half involved both the victim and offender consuming alcohol prior to the incident. Similar to previous research, the analysis found victim, offender and incident characteristics differentiated alcohol-related homicides from other homicides. Further analysis showed that the incident characteristics most clearly differentiate alcohol-related homicides, which highlights the crucial role situational and environmental factors play in precipitating alcohol-related homicide. A key finding, not found in earlier research, was that alcohol is equally likely to be implicated in intimate-partner homicides as it is in all other homicides. However, homicides involving women killing male intimate partners were far more likely to involve alcohol consumption by victim or offender or both, and that the overwhelming majority of Indigenous intimate-partner homicides were alcohol related.
The global war on drugs: has the endgame started? [webpage]
Alex Wodak, Lowy Institute for International Policy, July 2009
When Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, it was intended primarily as a political strategy rather than as a public policy. While it has failed as a public policy, the War on Drugs has often succeeded as a political strategy. However, significant health, social or economic benefits are hard to identify. There have been no reductions in deaths, diseases, crime or corruption. Global drug production and consumption is increasing while retail price is decreasing and purity is increasing.
Integrated approaches to alcohol-related antisocial behaviour and violence [pdf - 0.36Mb]
AICrime reduction matters no. 79. Australian Institute of Criminology, July 2009
A roundtable was recently held in Victoria to develop strategies to curb antisocial behaviour, with a focus on violence and public safety—particularly alcohol-related incidents. Attendees included academics, police, health professionals, representatives from the justice system and the co-founder of a violence prevention initiative.
Several points were raised at the forum, including the effectiveness of current prevention strategies. While there have been several attempts to curb alcohol-related violence through initiatives such as liquor licensing accords, late-night curfews and responsible alcohol service programs, as at December 2008 there was little consistent evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of these measures in reducing violence in the long term.
This report is from a workshop held in 2008 that provided a practical overview of law enforcement responses to substance abuse in Indigenous communities. It includes research summaries, environmental scans from Victoria and New South Wales, studies of innovative policing responses and discussion of particular issues, with a view to promoting good practice in the field.
Review of the misuse of kava among Indigenous people [webpage]
Belinda Urquhart and Neil Thomson. Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, July 2009
Kava is a psychoactive substance used predominantly by Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, particularly Arnhem Land communities. Much controversy has surrounded the use of kava by Indigenous Australians due to the surfacing of reports detailing the health and social effects of prolonged consumption and the apparent lack of kava-related cultural norms in Indigenous communities in Australia to constrain consumption. By way of generating a greater understanding on the impact of kava on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people, this paper will review the recent literature. Given the integral role of policy in minimising the use of drugs, an important focus of this review will include the legislative restrictions imposed in Australia on the use and importation of kava.
ACT Women and Prisons: Invisible Bars – The Stories behind the Stats. [webpage]
Deb Wybron and Kiri Dicker. Womens Centre for Health Matters, May 2009
[Page updated: 8 December 2009]
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