Updated December 13, 2018 06:50:10
![]() Youth advocates are calling for better regulation of the sale of nitrous oxide canisters, or "nangs", which are used for recreational drug use. In schoolies hubs such as Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, the canisters can be found littered along the foreshore the refuse of a night "on the nangs". What is a 'nang'?A "nang" is the street name given to a small canister of nitrous oxide, or laughing gasIt is available over the counter, and has various uses including in medicine and hospitalityHowever, selling it for non-medical human consumption is illegal in NSWIt can cause brain damage, memory loss, a weakened immune system and incontinence Co-ordinator of Byron Bay Schoolies Safety Response, Nicqui Yazdi, said she had seen an increase in the number of schoolies using the canisters, which are readily available from supermarkets and convenience stores. Ms Yazdi said shopkeepers needed to be more responsible. "The reality is, they just shouldn't be selling them in the first place," she said. "Any shop owner, manager or anyone ordering stock would have to know exactly what that is being used for. "Young people are forthcoming in telling us what they are using nangs for. I am sure that young people are going into shops and boasting about using them as well." ![]() The number of people using nitrous oxide is on the rise. An annual survey of a focus group of New South Wales drug users carried out by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) showed the use of nitrous oxide in the group that jumped from 55 per cent in 2017 to 75 per cent in 2018. This is despite the harmful effects of nitrous oxide becoming well known. Side-effects range from vomiting and fainting to brain damage, hypoxia and sudden death from lack of oxygen. ![]() NSW Health acting chief health officer, Jeremy McAnulty, said it was difficult to collect data on rates of hospitalisation or deaths from inhaling nitrous oxide because the body quickly eliminates the drug, meaning it rarely shows up in blood or urine tests. Ms Yazdi said these health problems could be eliminated if police enforced the laws relating to the sale of nitrous oxide canisters. Challenges with legislation NSW laws state that it is an offence for someone to supply or sell nitrous oxide to another knowing it is to be used for human consumption. The maximum penalty is two years imprisonment. Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen from the Tweed-Byron Local Area Command (LAC) said enforcing the laws is challenging as the substance crosses a number of legislative boundaries. "There is the possibility that it is an offence under the Drugs Misuse and Trafficking Act, but how do police prove that it is being used for psychoactive effect unless someone actually states that to police?" he said. "You have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it is being misused. I would say that the legislation poses difficulties." Detective Chief Inspector Cullen said officers from his LAC had in the past seized a number of the nitrous oxide cannisters at local music festivals, including Splendour in the Grass, but charges were not laid. Indeed, data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research confirmed even when police laid charges it was difficult to prosecute. During the 12 months to June 2018, only five people across the state were charged with knowingly suppling a psychoactive substance for human consumption. All of these people were found not guilty. Regulation of the sale of nitrous oxide canisters also falls outside the jurisdiction of the NSW Department of Fair Trading, with the Department making the following statement: Small gas canisters are legitimately sold for purposes such as whipping cream, use in high performance cars or, short-term pain relief with medical supervision. Under Australian Consumer Law, Fair Trading does not ban products that have a legitimate purpose but are misused. As an example, knives and baseball bats are goods that can be used inappropriately to harm others Fair Trading does not ban them. Users of nitrous oxide or "nangs" are intentionally misusing a product that has a legitimate use. Responsibility of retailers Criminal lawyer John Sutton said if the Government were serious about preventing the abuse of nitrous oxide canisters it could tweak legislation to further restrict their sale. "It's analogous to when one goes into a hardware store and all the paints are locked away to prevent people from using them to graffiti buildings. It's a point-of-sale question," he said. "It's very much a grey area and will require someone to put some thought to it, which doesn't appear to have occurred at this stage." Jane Laverty from the NSW Business Chamber said although regulating the sale of potentially dangerous products what not part of its remit, retailers were not averse to being "part of the solution". "It does come back to some level of responsible service and for an owner of a business to stock something that's a product that they know has a capacity to be abused is one thing and they can certainly manage that," Ms Laverty said. "It certainly does sound like an area that needs some attention and that needs groups of business leaders to work with those in the community to address it." Ms Yazdi said these sounded like empty words. "One shop in particular in Byron Bay, they are at point-of-sale, they are literally at eye-view of people walking into that shop. Our calls have been ignored essentially," she said. Topics:drugs-and-substance-abuse,youth,adolescent-health,retail,drug-offences,drug-use,health,lismore-2480,byron-bay-2481,tweed-heads-2485,surfers-paradise-4217 First posted December 13, 2018 06:46:49 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-13/calls-for-better-regulation-of-nitrous-oxide-canisters/10584356?source=rss
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The federal government has relaxed the rules on who can access disaster funding following Prime Minister Scott Morrison's tour of flood-struck Townsville.
Previously, residents could only apply for federal government relief if they suffered damage to at least 25 per cent of their homes but that rule has been abolished, and they can now apply if water has gone over floorboards in their house. "After seeing firsthand the challenges faced in Townsville yesterday, I asked for changes to be made last night to the eligibility for the disaster relief payment," Mr Morrison tweeted on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after visiting the city. At least 2000 homes in the region have water over the floorboards, but potentially up to 10,000 sustained flooding damage. The Insurance Council of Australia has so far processed 3500 claims worth $45 million as a result of the big wet, which is entering its 12th day. Hundreds of people remain holed up in evacuation centres across Townsville waiting for floodwaters to recede so they can return home. Many have already begun the clean-up, sifting through muddy possessions as the rain continues to fall. The weather has already claimed lives, with two men's bodies discovered in a Townsville drain on Tuesday. A local resident said the men may have been sucked into man-sized pipes that lead to the drain from a liquor store where a looting incident had been reported. A man, woman and a girl had a lucky escape on Tuesday night when their car overturned while trying to cross a flooded creek on Mackay Eungella Road at Netherdale. The woman was swept downstream but clung to a tree before swimming to safety, while the man and girl also escaped with minor injuries. The monsoonal trough is expected to bring further heavy rain between Palm Island and Mackay on Wednesday, but is expected to move offshore by Friday. Major flood warnings also remain in place for the Ross, Haughton, Upper Burdekin, Flinders, Cloncurry and Leichhardt rivers. More than 100 fresh police officers and nurses will fly into Townsville to relieve their local colleagues on Wednesday, and some schools in the region have reopened as the monsoon trough slowly pushes south. The vigorous weather system has also generated floods out west, with farmers around Cloncurry, McKinlay and Flinders shire reporting livestock losses. Farmers around Ingham are also bracing for significant crop losses. Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will visit Townsville on Wednesday. Originally published as Hundreds waiting for Qld floods to recede https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/hundreds-waiting-for-qld-floods-to-recede/news-story/98eb6cb11b6d117b2613287ee1abe981 A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. This is also known as Online Behavioural Advertising. You can find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-outhere.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/sports-now-around-the-grounds/video/080d8fa954cf084ea09155b3a4996e94 ![]() Piccadilly Hill, a Byron Bay hinterland retreat, has been sold for $4.8 million. It was offered by a company directed by Jon Adgemis, the high-profile KMPG executive. The sale was $2 million plus higher for the Coopers Shoot acreage which cost $2.65 million in 2015. The near 30ha estate with jasmine-lined verandas came with approval for a guest cottage. MORE: Thor clans Byron living has really bourne fruit The type of buyers set to pounce in 2019 Musical theatre star sells Woollahra terrace ![]() ![]() The homestead with a wet edge pool has views to Broken and Lennox Heads. Six paddocks, four with spring dams, are cleared pastures for cattle. Adgemis, KPMGs head of mergers and acquisitions, has done well in property. Last year he sold his 1910 Rose Bay home for $4.25 million, $1.4 million more than the $2.85 million he paid for it in 2015. He upgraded to a nearby $4.5 million home just before Christmas. He split with the Sutherland Shire-born model Cheyenne Tozzi in 2017. ![]() Film duo for Byron AWARD-winning film industry duo Daryl Dellora and Dr Jenny Hocking have bought in Byron Bay. ![]() The Melbourne-based couple have spent $1.1 million on a renovated, 2000-built, five bedroom home, and quickly found a tenant at $1030 a week, reflecting a 5 per cent yield. Katrina Beohm at Katrina Beohm Real Estate sold the Sunrise Beach home. ![]() Dellora was an executive producer on the hit film The Dressmaker in 2015 and more recently worked on a documentary portrait of architect Harry Seidler. He also directed The Edge of The Possible, a documentary on Jrn Utzon and the Sydney Opera House. ![]() SIGN UP FOR THE LATEST REAL ESTATE NEWSLETTER HERE https://www.couriermail.com.au/real-estate/dam-fine-price-for-piccadilly-hill-homestead/news-story/ac96eab0fae4fca58509bb515a37bb40 PARENTING has never been more stressful, with mums and dads moving cities even countries for jobs, leaving behind the backup of family and friends, experts say.
The Sunday Mail has joined with parenting experts Triple P and Channel 7 to empower parents and make their voices heard. COMPLETE THE PARENTING SURVEY NOW The Queensland Parenting Survey aims to highlight the concerns, and successes, of Queensland parents in the biggest campaign of its type in the state. Triple P founder and clinical psychologist Professor Matt Sanders said parents were facing constant challenges but with help parents can feel empowered to set firm rules under which children flourish. Children thrive when raised in a calm, nurturing, consistent environment, with rules and routines they understand, and where consequences are applied consistently and appropriately. Thats why Triple P programs focus on encouraging and empowering parents to put into practice simple parenting strategies that have been proven to improve family life and to work across cultures and different family structures, he said. When I was young Id disappear for a whole day on my bike and only come home for dinner. Now, my daughters cant go down the road to the park unless were with them. Its sad in a way, and Im not sure if its because the world was safer back then, or because now were more aware of the risks, he said. Technology and screen time is a modern day headache when it comes to children. We havent yet given the girls their own phones and any screen time is on our devices. So far, thats been limited to YouTube with kids filters on or their own filtered Netflix accounts, he said. COMPLETE THE PARENTING SURVEY NOW The girls are encouraged to read books at the weekend. In previous generations literally a village would help raise a child as there was always help at hand from extended family and grandparents. Todays parents are often doing it alone and it has become unbelievably hard, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg told The Sunday Mail. In just one generation children have gone from fearlessly roaming the streets until dark, lost in adventure, to one in 10 never going further than their front door. Ironically, despite being stuck on the couch, children have never been in more danger. The internet opens a world of threats unknown to the previous generation, he said. Many parents struggle to deal with these dangers while trying to juggle a job, pay a mortgage, look after their own relationship and try to stay healthy. The challenges are many. Questions for Max Futcher Q. Do you think parenting is more difficult now than when you were a child? A. Perhaps not more difficult, just very different. The internet and social media are ever-changing. As parents, were racing to keep up, while at the same time trying to guide our children down the right path. Q. What are the biggest challenges of being a parent? A. With the girls still relatively young 7 and 9 were trying to reinforce a set of values they can carry through their lives. Were very fortunate that they both have a nice circle of friends and are great friends with each other. However, when they go to school, you have to let go and let them find their own place. Of course there will be the possibility of bullying, and it breaks your heart to know it might happen, but navigating that is sometimes part of growing. Whether on devices or TV, Kim and I try to keep a handle on screen time. We prefer them to read on weeknights if homework is finished (although Stella loves cooking shows), and PlayStation is only for short stints on weekends. Q. Do you parent the same way your parents did? A. My approach is different to my mum and dad, but then the challenges are different. I do think Im too strict on them, but not quite helicopter. I think my wife Kim is more lenient, although if Im honest, she probably has the mix right. https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/triple-p-parenting-survey-parents-given-a-voice-in-stressful-times/news-story/217118a8c4cb36b1b7f1cfbb9f150017 The United States says it has imposed visa restrictions on Ghana, saying the West African nation is not cooperating in taking back its deported nationals.
The Department of Homeland Security says Ghana "has denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed from the United States". The statement issued on Thursday says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered consular officials to impose visa restrictions on some categories of visa applicants and "without an appropriate response from Ghana, the scope of these sanctions may be expanded to a wider population." The US does not say how many deported Ghanaians are involved, but some local media in Ghana last year noted it was some 7000 people. Originally published as US imposes visa restrictions on Ghana https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/us-imposes-visa-restrictions-on-ghana/news-story/a632893fbbf819651df59f6d7298b4d0 |
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