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PUSHING THE DRUG DEBATE: THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN POLICY REFORM
Author(s) -
McArthur Morag
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1999.tb01075.x
Subject(s) - summit , project commissioning , government (linguistics) , prime minister , publishing , resistance (ecology) , methadone , public administration , political science , capital (architecture) , public relations , sociology , politics , medicine , law , psychiatry , history , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , physical geography , biology , geography
In light of the Federal Government decision to withdraw support from the Australian Capital Territory's heroin trial and the Prime Minister's continued strong resistance this paper examines the history of methadone treatment in Australia. It argues that the shift in views surrounding methadone treatment in the mid 1980s was assisted in part by two factors. The first was the role of the media; the second was the leadership taken by the Federal Government culminating in 1985 with the Drug Summit. The story of methadone treatment, particularly the role of the media, is a reminder of the strong emotional response some drugs creates in the minds of the community and politicians. This example of policy reform also illustrates how certain groups can harness the media's influence and effect change.