Health - Historic survey to shed light on drug use

Fairfax Media, owner of The Sunday Age , is partnering with the Global
Drugs Survey, created by Adam Winstock, a psychiatrist and researcher
based in London, to help create the largest and most up-to-date
snapshot of drug and alcohol use in Australia, and how we compare with
others.
Dr Winstock said last year's survey, which 15,000 people filled out
globally, including 500 from Australia, showed that, for many, drug
use was characterised by confusion and dishonesty.
''People are appalled at knowing how their druguse compares to other
people,'' he said.
''My favourite statistic from last year was 20 per cent of people who
were alcohol dependent using the World Health Organisation screening
tool thought their drinking was average orless than average.''
Nearly 40 per cent of people who had been asked about their drug use
by their GP either lied and said they never used drugs, or downplayed
their use. About 22 per cent of alcohol drinkers did the same.
The survey is being launched in Australia today, and will also be run
in the US, in partnership with NBC, and in Britain with The Guardian ,
Mixmag and the Gay Times .
Dr Winstock said he created the project to capture a broader snapshot
of drug use than is usually available.
''Most governments are interested in drug-use patterns among the
sickest and most disadvantaged.
''But that represents a fraction of the people who use drugs,'' he said.
Results of the survey have been published in the British Medical
Journal , The Lancet and Addiction , and have helped produce a project
called the drugs meter, where people canfind out how their drug use
compares with that of others.
New research shows drug and alcohol treatments have increased in
Australia over the past year, with alcohol the drug most likely to get
people into trouble.
Almost half the drug treatment episodes in the 2010-11 financial year
were for alcohol problems, according to data released by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
There were about 150,500 treatment sessions in that time, up from
about 145,600 the year before.
You can take part in the global drugs survey overthe next month by
goingto theage.com.au. The Australian results will be published
exclusively by Fairfax early next year.
Drugs covered by the survey include cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis,
ketamine, mephedrone, alcohol, tobacco, ''legal highs'' and
prescription medicines such as temazepam and opioid painkillers. The
survey is anonymous and secure, and takes about 20 to 25minutes to
complete.