scholarly journals The transition of cannabis into the mainstream of Australian healthcare: framings in professional medical publications

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Lewis ◽  
John Flood

Abstract Background Medicinal cannabis has been legalised for use for a range of specified medical conditions in Australia since 2016. However, the nature of the government regulations and the subsequent complexity of prescribing, as well as doctors’ safety uncertainties and the stigma of the plant, remain contributing barriers to patient access. Media representations can offer insights into the nature of the discourse about new medical products and therapies and how ideas and understandings about social phenomena become constructed. Focusing on professional medical publications, this study sought to investigate how medicinal cannabis is being represented in professional medical publications. Methods Using a content analysis approach, we investigated articles about medicinal cannabis from 2000 to the end of 2019 in the Medical Journal of Australia, Australian Doctor, Medical Observer, Australian Journal of General Practice, Australian Family Physician, and Australian Medicine. Articles were coded according to article type, framings of cannabis, headline and article tone, and key sources used in the article. We also used manifest textual analysis to search for word frequencies, and specific conditions referred to in the articles retrieved. Results A total of 117 articles were retrieved for analysis, the majority of which were news stories for a physician audience. Across the longitudinal period, we found that most reports carried a positive tone towards medicinal cannabis. Cannabis is most frequently framed as a legitimate therapeutic option that is complex to prescribe and access, does not have a strong evidence base to support its use, and also carries safety concerns. At the same time, the outlook on cannabis research data is largely positive. Primary sources most frequently used in these reports are peer-reviewed journals or government reports, voices from medical associations or foundations, as well as government and university researchers. Chronic pain or pain were the conditions most frequently mentioned in articles about cannabis, followed by epilepsy, cancer or cancer pain, and nausea and chemotherapy. Conclusions This analysis offers evidence that medicinal cannabis is being framed as a valid medicine advocated by the community, with potential for addressing a range of conditions despite the lack of evidence, and a medicine that is not free of risk.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (02) ◽  
pp. 103-114
Author(s):  
Moh. Toriqul Chaer ◽  
Muhammad Atabiqul As'ad ◽  
Qusnul Khorimah ◽  
Erik Sujarwanto

The continuity of learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic found educational institutions, especially Madrasah Ibtidaiyyah (MI) temporarily closed the learning process in schools. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 that is currently engulfing Indonesia. Lack of preparation, readiness and learning strategies have a psychological impact on teachers and students. Declining quality of skills, lack of supporting facilities and infrastructure. Learning from home (online) is an effort by the government program to ensure the continuity of learning in the pandemic period. The research method uses participatory action research (PAR), which focuses on understanding social phenomena that occur in the community and mentoring efforts on the problems faced. The assistance effort is to help the children of MI Sulursewu, Ngawi in participating in online learning related to; 1). Preparation of activities, 2). Counselling participants offline method, 3). Offline activities method. Results of the study show that the mentoring activities following the target of achievement; first, the activity can be carried out following the schedule that has been set. Second, students are always on time for the online learning hours that have been set. Offline methods show that efforts can help ease the burden on parents, but can also make it easier for students to receive subject matter.  


MedienJournal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Li Xiguang

The commercialization of meclia in China has cultivated a new journalism business model characterized with scandalization, sensationalization, exaggeration, oversimplification, highly opinionated news stories, one-sidedly reporting, fabrication and hate reporting, which have clone more harm than good to the public affairs. Today the Chinese journalists are more prey to the manipu/ation of the emotions of the audiences than being a faithful messenger for the public. Une/er such a media environment, in case of news events, particularly, during crisis, it is not the media being scared by the government. but the media itself is scaring the government into silence. The Chinese news media have grown so negative and so cynica/ that it has produced growing popular clistrust of the government and the government officials. Entering a freer but fearful commercially mediated society, the Chinese government is totally tmprepared in engaging the Chinese press effectively and has lost its ability for setting public agenda and shaping public opinions. 


Glimpse ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Duygu Onay-Coker ◽  

The COVID-19 pandemic both highlighted and exacerbated deep societal inequalities. Vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, especially women, faced even more unequal treatment. During the lockdown, women at home performed more childcare, and shouldered more cooking and cleaning duties, while husbands spent most of their time in virtual meetings. The media played a crucial role during this situation through its representation of women. An analysis of the reportage of two bestseller print mainstream media, Sabah and Hürriyet, compared to two alternative media channels on the internet, GazeteDuvar and T24, highlighted a serious difference in perspective in news stories about women. Bestseller mainstream Turkish media ignored the difficulties faced by women and followed dominant hegemonic discourse emphasizing women as wives and mothers who sacrifice themselves for their children and families. They ignored the plight of women victims subjected to violence during the lockdown and reproduced the idea of traditional gender roles through their news items. However, alternative newspapers provided a voice to the women, as well as to the voiceless, disadvantageous groups. They were critical of the government, local authorities, related powers, and their health politics. They did not prefer to ignore women and their voices but instead announced them in detail.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Boutton ◽  
Henry Pascoe

AbstractGovernments and NGOs establish aid projects in order to improve the quality of life for local residents around the world. While recent news stories about aid workers being kidnapped or killed by terrorist groups are alarming, they mask a broader question: Are aid projects effective in promoting humanitarian aims and pacifying the areas to which it is sent? Or, conversely, does their presence actually attract more violence? Although humanitarian assistance is ostensibly non-political, aid projects themselves may make popular targets for terrorist groups. In addition to increasing resources available to plunder, aid provides an appealing foreign target, allowing terrorist groups to reach wider audiences with their attacks and to reinforce the narrative that the government lacks capacity to protect and provide for civilians. In this paper we combine subnational, project-level aid data with newly-assembled subnational data on transnational terrorism to explore terrorist targeting of aid locations. After presenting our matched-sample analysis of terrorist targeting of aid, we outline avenues for future inquiry using high-resolution, subnational data to investigate the strategic vulnerabilities of foreign aid projects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Paul Langley ◽  
Stephen McKenna

The purpose of this anniversary supplement for Innovations in Pharmacy is to consider and / or propose modern, scientific methods for determining the evidence base for the fair pricing and accessibility of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. At present, such decisions are based on the construction of imaginary value assessment models that fail to meet the standards of normal science. Such a business model has been adopted by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in the US, NICE in the UK and in a number of other countries.   Article Type: Call for Papers


2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056131
Author(s):  
Jungmi Jun ◽  
Sei-Hill Kim ◽  
James Thrasher ◽  
Yoo Jin Cho ◽  
Yu-Jin Heo

BackgroundWe analyse news representations of the regulation of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in South Korea, the country where HTP use is among the highest in the world despite conflicts between the government and the HTP manufacturers.MethodsWe analysed a total of 571 print and TV news covering HTP regulations, published between 2017 and 2018, the time period when HTPs were introduced to the country and various regulations of HTPs were proposed and implemented. We assessed the prevalence and associations among specific types of HTP regulations that were discussed, valence towards regulation, sources, framing of the relative health risks/benefits of HTPs compared with conventional cigarettes.ResultsTaxation (55.2%) and warning labels (25.7%) were two regulation topics covered the most. Almost equal proportions of pro-regulation (2.5%) and anti-regulation valence (2.2%) were found in taxation-related news, while pro-regulation valence appeared more frequently for other restrictions, including warning labels (pro=9.5% vs anti=1.4%), marketing restrictions (pro=6.9% vs anti=0%) and integration of HTPs into smoke-free policies for cigarettes (pro=8.7% vs anti=0%). The government (59%), followed by the tobacco industry (39.4%), was the source cited most often across news stories while the presence of tobacco control advocates was low (4.9%). As for framing, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of stories mentioning reduced harm (31.7%) and equal or more harm (33.6%) of HTPs compared with cigarettes.ConclusionsWe provide implications for governments and tobacco control advocates on building consensus for applying cigarette equivalent taxes and pictorial warning labels to HTPs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 193-215
Author(s):  
John J. Coleman

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) and related drugs are widely used for treating a variety of conditions (with varying degrees of evidence-base), but their long-term use (more than 2–4 weeks) can be problematic. They were originally thought (or claimed) to be nonproblematic substitutes for barbiturates, but it is now clear that they have their own set of problems. In addition, they are commonly, albeit ill-advisedly, co-prescribed or used nonmedically in combination with other drug substances. The result of such combinations, particularly with the opioids, can be lethal. Administrative and statutory actions notwithstanding, it appears that reducing problems with BZDs will depend on a comprehensive approach that includes improved education for patients, prescribers, regulators, insurers, and the public. First and foremost, however, there is a pressing need for the government to improve its drug-abuse data collection, specifically how it monitors drug-related morbidity and mortality. This chapter reviews the information that demonstrates how an understanding of all of the dynamics is essential for designing effective public-health strategies to reduce BZD-associated problems.


Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Logan Cochrane ◽  
Danielle D. Legault

More than a decade has passed since the triple crises of food, energy and finance in the period 2007–2008. Those events turned global investor interest to agriculture and its commodities and thereafter the leasing of tens of millions of hectares of land. This article reviews and synthesizes the available evidence regarding the agricultural investments that have taken place in Ethiopia since that time. We use a systematic review approach to identify literature from the Web of Science and complement that with additional literature found via Google Scholar. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyze the available literature. In so doing, we raise questions of data quality, by analyzing the evidence base used by many studies (the Land Matrix database) and compare it with data we obtained from the Government of Ethiopia. We find that while the Land Matrix is the largest available database, it appears to present only a fraction of the reality. In critically assessing the literature, we identify areas that have been under-researched or are missing from the literature, namely assessments of gendered impacts, the role of diaspora and domestic investors, interdisciplinary approaches (e.g., integrating climate change, biodiversity, and water), and studies that move beyond technical assessment, such as looking at the impacts on traditional knowledge and socio-cultural systems.


SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402090180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Capurro

This article examines how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is covered in four elite North American newspapers and whether the dailies act as sites of reflexive modernization. I draw on risk society theory to situate AMR as a modern risk and news media as key spaces for reflexivity. Through a qualitative content analysis of 89 news stories on AMR, this study shows that this risk is communicated through inaccurate definitions and oversimplified accounts of the causes, populations at risk, and preventive measures. Media representations of health risks affect public perceptions of risk and risk prevention. The dailies, however, seldom expressed reflexive modernization, a key function of “mass media” in the Risk Society, which I argue could be due to the very complexity of “modern risks.” Lack of reflexivity in the media regarding AMR could delay crucial policy and institutional changes necessary to tackle this risk.


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-835
Author(s):  
Lara Rangiwhetu ◽  
Nevil Pierse ◽  
Elinor Chisholm ◽  
Philippa Howden-Chapman

Background A robust evidence base is needed to develop sustainable cross-party solutions for public housing to promote well-being. The provision of public housing is politically contentious in New Zealand, as in many liberal democracies. Depending on the government, policies oscillate between encouraging sales of public housing stock and reducing investment and maintenance, and large-scale investment, provision, and regeneration of public housing. Aim We aimed to develop frameworks to evaluate the impact of public housing regeneration on tenant well-being at the apartment, complex, and community levels, and to inform future policies. Method Based on a systems approach and theory of change models, we developed a mixed methods quasi-experimental before-and-after outcomes evaluation frameworks, with control groups, for three public housing sites. This evaluation design had flexibility to accommodate real-world complexities, inherent in evaluating large-scale public health interventions, while maintaining scientific rigor to realize the full effects of interventions. Results Three evaluation frameworks for housing were developed. The evaluation at the apartment level confirmed proof of concept and viability of the framework and approach. This also showed that minor draught-stopping measures had a relatively big impact on indoor temperature and thermal comfort, which subsequently informed healthy housing standards. The complex and community-level evaluations are ongoing due to longer regeneration timeframes. Conclusion Public housing is one of central government’s larger social sector interventions, with Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities the largest Crown entity. Evaluating public housing policies is important to develop an evidence base to inform best practice, rational, decision-making policy for the public as well as the private sector.


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