Originally Posted by Evelin

and the life of grandparents and other people who have to look after them. I work with two grandmothers who look after the grandchildren of their daughters. Another lady at work has her 4 children taken away and looked after by her parents because of a previous drug addiction (incl alcohol) which affected her mental health. She works with us as volunteer to prove to the gov that she is able to live a normal life and to get her children back (which in our view she will never get back). My husbands former collegue stopped working because she looks after the baby of the drugged daughter of her partner. The sister of my neighbour has one child looked after by foster parents, another child is looked after by the parents of the father of the child. Across the road of a friend lives a couple in their seventies who look after 3 grandchildren because the parents are drug addicts.

I am not living in the poorest area of Perth.

The coastline is too long to stop drugs coming into the country. I also believe there is a greater acceptance of the problem ("just get on with life") plus the living conditions in Australia make it more possible to use drugs. It is much easier to find support amongst family and friends (eg find a place to live) when things are getting a bit rough. In Europe one is confined to very little space, one is more scrutinized by neighbours, collegues and so forth.

Originally Posted by scotlandtooz

Sitting here listening to Radio One and Kelly Os telling us all about how drugs are not a good idea... What is the drug situation is Aus? Is cannabis acceptable (ish) in the same way it is in the UK? And cocaine, which more and more of the people I know seem to have tried... Rec. drug use in Aus - discuss...

Originally Posted by why

i think drug issues are different in UK and Australia....there aren't as many cocaine or heroine addicts here but more meth and dope and pills...some nasty stuff.....
it's alcohol that's the problem and i think they are neck and neck as far as i can tell