Gleanings aims to equip the Australian Christian with the knowledge and tools necessary to live as a light and salt in the Australian social and political spheres.
Parent Volunteers are wanted who can support parents who are currently faced with their child’s alcohol or drug use. For more info call the Parent Drug Information Service on 9442 5050 or 9471 0456. In particular, they are looking for volunteers who have had children who have had drug or alcohol problems.
Movieguide has published an article about the TV show, called ‘Skins’ which is shown on SBS TV in Australia and has been called the most dangerous program that has ever been foisted on children. Movieguide says that this programme is a wake up call Christians have been waiting for. It says that this show is polluting the minds of young adults and adults.
Meanwhile MTV has announced that it will continue producing the show despite an exit of advertisers and a 50 per cent slump in ratings and a call for a government pornography probe.
For story on MTV reaction: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/27/3123096.htm
For more on the programme and to add your comments: http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/skins/about/page/
Action: Movieguide is calling on people to make note of the sponsors of this programme and choose other brands while also letting the sponsors know of your discontent.
For details on how to give feedback and comments to SBS : http://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/contact/index/id/142/h/Feedback-Complaints
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released a report Dec 3, 2010 that showed that around 143,000 alcohol and other drug treatment episodes were provided in Australia in 2008-09. The top drug for people seeking treatment was alcohol followed by cannabis. However, for young people (aged 10-19) cannabis was the main concern. 66% of those seeking treatment for drugs were males.
For press release: http://www.aihw.gov.au/mediacentre/2008/mr20081017.cfm
For report: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10590
The Australian Prayer Network reports Nov 22, 2010 that there has been startling good news from the recent US elections. Last year in the state of Iowa, three judges voted to allow homosexual “marriage”. In the recent elections all three judges were voted out – the first time since 1962 that any Iowan judge has been rebuffed. In California a referendum to decriminalise cannabis (marijuana) – heavily promoted in a multi-million dollar campaign part-funded by billionaire George Soros – was defeated.
Research by UWA has revealed a link between amphetamine use and brain abnormalities according to a report in the Western Suburbs Weekly by Sara Fitzpatrick (16 Sept, 2010).
For story: http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/Drug-use-affects-brain/7569143/
The Rockingham Local Drug Action Group is running a Year 7 Drug Conference which will run to September 24, 2010 at Gilmore College (on Tuesday and Wednesday) and the Rockingham Rams Football Club starting at 9am until 2pm each day. For more info call 0418 911 414.
More than 300 people gathered in Fremantle on Aug 31, 2010 for the 7th Western Australian Symposium; ‘Hope, Hype or Hard Evidence: Alcohol and Other Drugs Practice in the New Millennium’. Opening the event, Mental Health Minister Graham Jacobs said up to one-third of people with mental health problems experienced issues with alcohol and drugs. For more: http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemID=133921
One in four young Australians aged 16-24 have a mental disorder according to a report released July 19, 2010 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Almost 1/3 of young woman had a mental disorder compared to 1/4 of men. Those with mental disorders were more than 5 times more likely to use illicit drugs and twice as likely to smoke. For report: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/25C95D1E36F1B968CA257762001AC54B?OpenDocument
Injecting drug use is declining in Europe according to a report published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs. Data from 12 EU countries shows that there are about 2.5 intravenous drug users per 1000 people 15-64yrs old. This means there are up to 1m drug users in the EU. For more: http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/crime-drugs.5bo
The ‘2009 Survey of Government Business Managers relating to the Impact of the Northern Territory Emergency Response’, conducted by TNS Social Research, has been released. It measures the opinions of Government Business Managers in 62 Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) communities and five prescribed town camps. The findings showed that 32% believed the level of violence has decreased since the intervention started in 2007. The survey also found that many reported that there has been a decrease in petrol sniffing. An earlier survey reported in Gleanings in January indicated that the health of the aboriginals in the NT has improved since the intervention. From July 1, the Racial Discrimination Act will be reapplied in the Northern Territory. The Racial Discrimination Act was put aside for the intervention so that alcohol and pornography restrictions could be applied in communities which were experiencing high levels of violence.
For more on the survey results: http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/mediareleases/2010/pages/nter_report_22june10.aspx
For the January Indigenous Health results: http://christiangleanings.com/2010/01/indigenous-health/
On the re-applying of the Racial Discrimination Act: http://www.jennymacklin.fahcsia.gov.au/mediareleases/2010/pages/jm_m_rda_22june2010.aspx
