AOD Policy

September 23, 2025 By WRD News Team Victoria’s latest overdose statistics paint a sobering picture that challenges the effectiveness of current harm reduction policies. The Coroners Court of Victoria’s damning report reveals 584 fatal overdoses in 2024—the highest toll in a decade—raising serious questions about whether Australia’s emphasis on drug harm minimisation strategies is delivering the […]

  A damning counter-policy response has exposed Australian cannabis legalisation proposals as a dangerous deception that would unleash devastating public health consequences. The comprehensive analysis of the Penington Cannabis Control Plan reveals how “health-first” rhetoric masks commercialisation that prioritises addiction-for-profit economics over genuine community wellbeing. The document warns that cannabis control Australia advocates ignore overwhelming

  Originating in the US, Communities that Care is a public health prevention framework that has been operating in Australia for 25 years. Over 30 Local Government Areas have used the framework to reduce alcohol consumption, injuries and crime. In the US it has been used to also reduce smoking, cannabis and depression. An Australian

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2025 delivers a The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2025 delivers a sobering wake-up call for Australia’s drug prevention crisis. Meanwhile, whilst policymakers debate harm reduction strategies and law enforcement approaches, the nation is haemorrhaging lives and resources to

The opioid crisis continues to devastate communities across Canada and beyond, with recent research highlighting alarming treatment retention failures that underscore why prevention must be our primary defence. A comprehensive study examining opioid agonist therapy amongst First Nations people in Ontario reveals shocking statistics that every family, educator, and community leader must understand. The Stark

Overview: This Policy Proposal has been designed for Australia with the hard learned lessons from other jurisdictions in mind. Ensuring faux claims of perceived manageability are addressed. Not only has there been considerable consultation with health, legal and policy professionals, but with the voice of the vast silent majority of non-substance users being heard. Informing

  Substance Use and STI Transmission: The Crisis Behind the Numbers: Research across multiple developed nations reveals a clear crisis: substance use is systematically driving sexually transmitted infection rates upward, yet prevention strategies remain inadequate. The evidence demonstrates that drug consumption fundamentally compromises sexual health decision-making, creating infection pathways that current approaches fail to address. Analysis

Breaking News from Australia shows unprecedented success in tackling youth vaping epidemic as government reports peak vaping rates behind them Australia has achieved a remarkable milestone in youth substance abuse prevention, with border authorities seizing over 10 million vapes since implementing world-leading import controls in January 2024. The comprehensive crackdown has successfully turned the corner

New allegations have emerged about China’s role in the global fentanyl supply chain, highlighting the complex nature of international drug trafficking and the urgent need for comprehensive prevention strategies. What We Know About Project Zero According to Yuan Hongbing, a former Chinese academic now living in Australia, sources within Beijing’s political circles have described a