South Australia
| Use attributes for filter ! | |
| Capital | Adelaide |
|---|---|
| Population | 1. 677 million (Dec 2013) |
| Slogan or nickname | The Festival State; The Wine State |
| Premier | Steven Marshall |
| Points of interest | Barossa Valley |
| Flinders Chase National Park | |
| Date of Reg. | |
| Date of Upd. | |
| ID | 735739 |
About South Australia
South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres, it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, and fifth largest by population.
Nuclear test medal: UK veterans to receive recognition after years-long campaign
... Maralinga, in South Australia, saw the first test launches of atomic weapons from aircraft in 1962...
The Australian climate protesters cast as extremists
... This has In May, after several Extinction Rebellion protests, the South Australia government introduced a A$50,000 maximum fine and three months jail for anyone " recklessly" obstructing public spaces, while laws passed in New South Wales last year created a two-year maximum prison sentence for acts disrupting major roads or facilities...
Australia legalises psychedelics for mental health
... Use of the psychedelics would be carefully monitored and not a case of " take a pill and go away" said Dr Mike Musker, a mental health researcher at the University of South Australia...
Climate change: How it's endangering Australian wine
... There was one year, he recalls, when their vineyards in South Australia s Riverland region got only 90mm of rain - 10 times less than the annual average for the famous French wine region of Bordeaux...
Barbie with Down's syndrome on sale after 'real women' criticism
... Academics from the University of South Australia suggested the likelihood of a woman having...
Aukus: Sunak to visit US to finalise defence pact
... The plan is for nuclear submarines to be built in Adelaide, South Australia, with the UK and US providing consultation on technology for their production...
Nuclear test veterans to be honoured with medal after campaign
... " Those who worked under UK command during tests at the Montebello Islands, Christmas Island, Malden Island and Maralinga and Emu Field, South Australia, between 1952 and 1967, will be able to apply for the medal...
Mystery of Australia's 'Somerton Man' solved after 70 years, researcher says
... South Australia Police are yet to confirm the finding, but Prof Abbott says it is " very convincing"...
Australia legalises psychedelics for mental health
By Tiffany WertheimerBBC News
Australia has become The First country in The World to legalise the use of psychedelics to treat some Mental Health conditions.
Approved psychiatrists can now prescribe Mdma to those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and Magic Mushrooms for some types of depression.
The controversial move has been hailed as a game-changer by many scientists and Mental Health experts.
However, others say The Move has been too hasty and should not be over-hyped.
Experts say there is still The Risk of a " bad trip" which is when the user has an unpleasant experience while under The Influence of drugs.
And the therapy comes at a cost, with Australian media reporting one course could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Mdma - also known as The Party drug Ecstasy - is a synthetic drug that acts as a hallucinogen. It increases the user's energy levels, sensory experiences and distorts their sense of time.
Magic Mushrooms , which grow naturally, also have hallucinogenic effects due to the active compound psilocybin.
While Australia is The First country in The World to regulate the drugs as medications, clinical trials are also underway in the US, Canada and Israel.
Under the new regulations which became official in Australia on 1 July, approved psychiatrists can prescribe Mdma for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psilocybin for depression that has resisted other treatments.
Use of the psychedelics would be carefully monitored and not a case of " take a pill and go away" said Dr Mike Musker, a Mental Health researcher at the University of South Australia .
Describing The Move as a " game-changer" he told AFP news agency that, in the case of Mdma for example, the patient would likely have three treatments over five to eight weeks. Each treatment would last about eight hours, with The Therapist staying with the patient the whole time.
Patients should not expect a miracle cure, however.
" I have read about stories where people have had what you call bad trips, or actually they've re-experienced their trauma, and so we've got to take great caution, " Dr Musker said.
Professor Susan Rossell , a cognitive neuropsychologist at Melbourne's Swinburne University said that while psychedelics certainly had the potential for therapeutic use, The Move had come about too quickly.
" When you look at Interventions . . for any other kind of disease, whether it's cardiovascular disease or cancer, you cannot get a drug to market as quickly as this has been done, " she told AFP.
Prof Rossell, who is leading Australia's biggest trial on The Effects of psilocybin on depression, added that more research was needed to determine the long-term outcomes of the therapy.
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) shocked many in the medical and Science World in February when it reclassified Mdma and psilocybin so they could be used for therapeutic purposes.
It declared the drugs " relatively safe" when used in a " medically-controlled environment" for patients " with serious Mental Health conditions". Otherwise, both Mdma and psilocybin are illegal in Australia.
The TGA acknowledges that there are unknowns and inconclusive evidence, but says " there are promising signs" that controlled therapeutic use of the drugs may improve Mental Health for Some People and that the " benefits for some patients. . will outweigh the risks".
The regulator says there are currently no approved products that contain Mdma or psilocybin. However the reclassification means psychiatrists will be able to access and legally supply certain medicines that contain them, even if they have not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness.
Related TopicsSource of news: bbc.com
