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18 October 2022
The death of Jack Charles, Uncle Jack, evokes many, many thoughts and feelings.
I never met him, though I know people who did. I saw him around St Kilda...
21 September 2022
The trickle of media stories about Australia’s General Practitioner (GP) shortage has turned into a flood. In fact, I think it is the first time an issue so critical...
July 2022
“Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong” – Johann Hari
So, it’s happened again. A really important public health issue in the realm of addiction is a bit...
26 May 2022
Addiction is the most complex area of medicine. Why? Because it involves every part of a person: their history, relationships, socio-economic life, physical health, mental health, brain physiology etc....
11 March 2022
During debate on Fiona Patten's proposed drug law reform bill, Bernie Finn MP proposed the death penalty for drug dealers ("drug lords"):
"I would be very happy to administer [the...
22 February 2022
On Wednesday I had the great privilege of speaking at Fiona Patten's press conference at Victorian Parliament House in favour of her bill to decriminalise the possession of illicit...
8 September 2021
Hypothetical Case Study of a client with co-occurring needs (including mental health, alcohol and other drugs and other support needs) attending a future Local Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
...
4 August 2021
You might not think about them every day except for when you are brushing them, but your teeth are really, really important.
Those of us who have suffered through...
28 June 2021
Mental ill-health and addiction can happen to anyone. This is an important and immutable truth. Yet chronic mental illness combined with long-term substance use is very much concentrated among...
6 May 2021
Niels Bohr said the thing about great truths is that the opposite is also true. Isn't that the very definition of counter-intuitive and fantastically thought provoking because of that?...
2020
It is a beautiful autumn day in Melbourne, our best season, right? You just popped into your favourite café, and your favourite barista made your coffee just right. You’re walking calmly,...
A couple of months ago a small group of community CEOs in Melbourne’s inner south east sat down around what would be their last communal coffee for a long time. COVID was...
24 April 2020
I have a fabulous opportunity next Wednesday at 5.30pm to speak to hundreds of people about the live-saving work of First Step. I will be speaking (with 3 other...
