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Addict In The Family

Chronology
1821	Publication of De Quincey's book, Confessions of an English Opium Eater, the first personal addiction story.
1898	Heroin first marketed by Bayer Company as a 'non-addictive drug' and a 'cure for morphinism'.
1918 to 1933	Eighteenth Amendment. US 'prohibition' period.
1935	Founding of A.A. in Ohio, USA, by Bill W and Dr Bob.
1953	Publication of Junkie by William S. Burroughs.
1953	Banning of heroin in Australia (against medical advice).
1961	The Single Convention of UN consolidated bans on non-medical use of heroin and opium in signatory countries.
1964	Royal College of Physicians report blames tobacco for lung cancer.
1965	First R&R personnel come to Sydney from Vietnam.
1965	Dole's report on success of methadone treatment.
1969	First Australian patients treated with methadone.
1980	First cases of HIV/AIDS recognised.
1985	Harm minimization and methadone adopted by Australian Special Premiers Conference in strategy against HIV.
1990	Hepatitis C becomes major concern amongst drug users.
1993	Study of 150 NSW heroin related deaths shows that only 2% were currently enrolled in methadone treatment.
1995	Northern Territory becomes third jurisdiction (after ACT and SA) to decriminalise personal use of cannabis.
1996	Tobacco accepted as addictive by US President Clinton.
1996	Over 17,000 Australians on methadone treatment in all jurisdictions except Northern Territory.
1996	Over 18,000 Australians die from tobacco related illnesses.

Glossary

Dr. Andrew J. Byrne received the prestigious Marie Award at the 2006 national conference of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence.

For more information about pain management and opiate pain medication, check out ManagingChronicPain.org.