Drugs & Alcohol

Spain’s Balearic Islands crack down on partying after tourists cause ‘deep concern’ for locals

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Spain’s Balearic Islands are further cracking down on public drinking and party boats as part of modifications to a 2020 decree that addressed “excess tourism”. The new rules ban drinking in the streets in key tourist areas on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, with an exception for terraces and other licensed areas. Penalties for … Read more

Major update after South Australian dad charged with drug possession in Bali

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A South Australian dad charged with drug possession in Bali was allegedly sent a parcel of methamphetamine, leading to a raid of his hotel. The Port Lincoln man and his wife were arrested by Bali police on April 30 after 0.04g of meth and a bong were allegedly found in their room. His lawyer, Ida … Read more

QLD becomes first Australian state to have pill testing, with operation at Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival

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Pill testing will be introduced into Queensland, at a festival were two people died from drug overdoses five years ago. The Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival — colloquially known as a bush doof due to its rural location and focus on electronic music — will be attended by Pill Testing Australia staff at Elbow Valley, near … Read more

Adelaide family warn against dangers of excessive alcohol consumption after grandfather diagnosed with liver cirrhosis

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An Adelaide family has reminded Australians about the dangers of alcohol, after their father was diagnosed with chronic liver damage. Dhanapati Kandel was a heavy drinker. The 55-year-old, who had been drinking since he was 15, had progressed to consuming a bottle of whisky almost daily before his lifestyle caught up with him. Kandel was … Read more

Price of beer, spirits expected to increase in Australia

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Australians may notice they are paying more for a pint from this week, as the government’s twice-yearly tax hike on alcohol kicks in. Beer and spirits will be hit by the federal government’s automatic indexation of the alcohol excise, which rises twice a year in February and August based on inflation. Under the change, the … Read more

Thailand moves to ban recreational cannabis use 18 months after historic decriminalisation

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Thailand’s new government is moving ahead to pass new legislation banning cannabis for recreational use in a major reversal 18 months after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalise the plant. The relaxed laws gave rise to a lucrative cannabis industry catering to locals and foreigners alike across the nation. However, a new … Read more

‘Chilled’ Surfers Paradise Schoolies with arrests, attendance down a sign of declining teen drinking

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“People are more just, like, they don’t want to come and get smashed every night. They just want to go and do something more chilled, hang out with their friends.” It’s a comment to 7NEWS by one school leaver that sums up the apparent trend in attitudes of revellers at annual Schoolies celebrations on the … Read more