Harmful use and/or dependence on illicit or licit drugs, including alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs, and substances such as petrol, leads to a significant ongoing burden of disease on Australia. [1]
NHMRC funding for addiction and substance abuse research
In the period 2004-09, NHMRC contributed $71.2 million to Australian research into addiction and substance abuse.
|
|
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Expenditure ($) |
9,182,783 |
11,324,289 |
11,158,354 |
11,257,642 |
11,762,768 |
16,504,762 |
|
Number of active grants |
61 |
72 |
72 |
77 |
88 |
93 |
|
Number of Researchers Involved |
||||||
|
People Support Grants |
22 |
27 |
33 |
40 |
43 |
37 |
|
Research Support - New Project Grants |
38 |
44 |
38 |
36 |
44 |
55 |
|
Research Support - No of Researchers |
113 |
136 |
125 |
150 |
165 |
192 |
Some NHMRC-funded research projects into addiction and substance abuse
Helping Indigenous women to stop smoking during pregnancy
Chief Investigator Professor Sandra J Eades, University of Newcastle
Rates of smoking in pregnancy are significantly higher among Indigenous women than other Australian women (65% vs 20%). This application is to continue the first ever trial of an intensive program of smoking cessation advice provided to women and their major family supports designed to reduce smoking rates among Indigenous women in pregnancy. This project has already been running successfully for two years, however, further funds are required to complete years four and five of the project.
NHMRC Project Grant
Brain damage after heroin overdose
Chief Investigator Professor Shane Darke, University of New South Wales
The study will provide the first data on the level and nature of brain damage due to opioid overdose. The extent to which overdose survivors suffer brain damage has important implications for clinical management, particularly in relation to behavioural problems. It will also provide the first data on brain damage and drug treatment performance. Screening of those with an overdose history may lead to specialised management of these individuals with the potential for improved treatment outcome.
NHMRC Project Grant
Monitoring tobacco consumption to evaluate Indigenous tobacco control
Chief Investigator Dr David P Thomas, Menzies School of Health Research
Tobacco smoking is a major health problem for Indigenous Australians. Half of Indigenous men and women smoke. However, primary health care teams do not know whether current Indigenous tobacco control activities are making any impact on smoking. Most Indigenous tobacco control programs have not been evaluated. As such, this project will aim to establish a sustainable and unobtrusive monitoring and feedback system using tobacco consumption data from at least 30 remote Indigenous community stores. The project will also monitor tobacco control activities in each participating remote Indigenous community. The data collected from the stores will help to describe local trends in tobacco consumption and to better inform and modify the local primary health care response to Indigenous tobacco smoking. This monitoring is analogous to the long-established monitoring of infectious diseases by primary health care and public health workers.
NHMRC Strategic Award - General Practice Clinical Research Grant
Prenatal alcohol exposure results in fetal zinc deficiency which is a major cause of cognitive problems in offspring
Chief Investigator Dr Peter Coyle, University of Adelaide
Damage to the developing brain is the major social and economic consequence of prenatal alcohol exposure but it is unclear the mechanism by which this occurs. This study will assess whether the maternal zinc-binding protein, metallothionein, causes 1, alcohol-related cognitive deficits and 2, changes in the expression of alcohol-sensitive cognitive genes. We will further assess whether dietary zinc supplementation throughout pregnancy can prevent alcohol-related anomalies.
NHMRC Project Grant
Genetics of Alcohol and Nicotine Addiction
Chief Investigator Dr John B Whitfield, Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Alcohol and nicotine addiction are major public health problems within Australia. As well as the personal and economic costs associated with dependence, there is a wide range of downstream health effects from heavy drinking and smoking. This is a proposal for a genome wide association study to systematically screen and identify genetic variants within the Australian population that affects an individual's liability to developing alcohol addiction, nicotine addiction or both.
NHMRC Project Grant
Alcohol and public health: the Australian experience
Chief Investigator Professor Robin G W Room, University of Melbourne
The study will be the first in Australia to systematically examine the relationships between population level alcohol consumption and mortality from specific causes such as liver disease, injuries and heart disease, with significant implications for epidemiology and health policy. The study will also undertake rigorous evaluations of the impact of historic changes to alcohol policies, which will provide evidence which can be used to guide future alcohol policy.
NHMRC Project Grant
Sources
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008. Australia’s health 2008. Cat. no. AUS 99. Canberra: AIHW.