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The Know shares drug alerts issued from all states and territories in Australia to build public awareness of emerging drugs of concern and support people who use drugs and communities to reduce the risk of harm.
Paracetamol is a medicine used to reduce pain. It can be bought over-the-counter in pharmacies, supermarkets and other shops.
Scientists have long investigated potential associations between using acetaminophen during pregnancy and developmental disabilities. But while some studies have suggested a link, a broad range of experts argue there's no conclusive evidence to support it, like Dr Elisha Broom, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
Experts say it is safe to use paracetamol during pregnancy and Trump's autism declaration is 'baseless'
Jen Furby is a Melbourne-based teacher whose only daughter, Nicole, died of a mixed-toxicity drug overdose in 2022. Nicole was 25. By sharing her tragic loss, Jen hopes to start conversations and change community perceptions about drug overdose. This is her story.
There’s always an element of risk involved in taking any drug – prescription or illegal. And, different drugs carry different risks.
Not everyone has the same risk of overdose. Different people will have different risks, depending on the type of opioid that they’re taking, how long they’ve been taking it, their height and weight, and so on
An opioid overdose causes a person’s breathing to slow to dangerous levels to the point that they can’t breathe properly. This can cause brain damage and, in some cases, death.
Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdose, allowing the person to breathe again while help is on its way.
Alcohol is a legal depressant that slows down the messages travelling between the brain and the body. In small amounts, alcohol can cause you to feel relaxed, more confident and heighten your emotions. Alcohol depresses the nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (to prevent choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually cause these functions to shut down. Since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach, excessive vomiting is also common. If the person is unconscious, this could lead to death by asphyxiation.
Methamphetamine (or methylamphetamine hydrochloride) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant.
Because of its high purity, meth overdose, or toxicity, can occur even with small doses, especially when mixed with other drugs. The greatest concern in meth overdose is the risk of seizures, stroke and heart attack. Emergency presentations featuring meth toxicity are less common than meth psychosis. However, risks to the cardiovascular system from high levels are significant, especially when there is a pre-existing health problem.
Benzodiazepines, barbiturates (medical depressants), opioids and alcohol all slow the central nervous system to produce a calming effect.
These substances are often prescribed to relieve pain, help you sleep or in the case of alcohol, used recreationally when socialising. However, when taken in excessive amounts or in combinations with other drugs, depressants can depress normal functions such as breathing and heart rate until they eventually stop, resulting in brain damage or death.
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), also known as ‘synthetic drugs’ also known as synthetic cathinones or ‘legal highs’ are chemicals that are made to act in a similar way to drugs like cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine or methamphetamine.
The effects of NPS vary from substance to substance and so may signs of overdose. Signs of overdoes is partly based on what is known of related drugs (MDMA and amphetamines) as not enough research has been done on individual cathinones
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