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Drug facts & info

Drug facts & Info

Is Rat Park the best way to look at substance use?

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In recent years there has been much attention given to the ‘Rat Park’ experiment as a means for explaining some of the determinants of drug and alcohol use.

At the time research undertaken by Dr Bruce Alexander aimed to debunk some of the myths around addiction. Whilst successful in this worthwhile endeavour unintentionally the experiment perpetuated unhelpful stereotypes about the motivation for problematic drug and alcohol use.

YoDAA believes that there is no specific reason for Drug and Alcohol use and that young people develop drug and alcohol problems for lots of different reasons.

An interesting article explores some of the myths that the ‘Rat Park’ research perpetuates as well as redefining the complexity of contemporary drug and alcohol use.

Young people with low severity substance of use but who are highly vulnerable are at serious risk of escalating AOD use

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Further Reading

When is AOD considered a problem with adolescents

Advocating for young people in schools

What is AOD Youth Work

Tailoring support options to need

Universal harm reduction strategies

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Is Rat Park the best way to look at substance use?

At the time research undertaken by Dr Bruce Alexander aimed to debunk some of the myths around addiction. Whilst successful in this worthwhile endeavour unintentionally the experiment perpetuated unhelpful stereotypes about the motivation for problematic drug and alcohol use.

At the time research undertaken by Dr Bruce Alexander aimed to debunk some of the myths around addiction. Whilst successful in this worthwhile endeavour unintentionally the experiment perpetuated unhelpful stereotypes…

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Understanding pathways into problematic drug or alcohol use promotes an empathetic approach to supporting young people.

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NDARC have released their latest Australian drug trends report. This collates numerous reports and data to comment on trends in AOD use and harms in Australia.

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