In its first two years, Canberra's fixed drug checking service has found meth in a counterfeit diet pill and a synthetic opioid thought to be 25 times stronger than fentanyl.
Normally shrouded in secrecy and sealed for 100 years, medical files have now exposed dark past of Wolston Park
Wolston Park closed in 2001, but it remains infamous for widespread allegations of sexual abuse, beatings, chemical restraint and “shock therapy” from the 1950s to 1980s.
Photo shows A woman with glasses looks past the camera with a neutral expression on her face.Faith-based rehab provider accused of harming patients' chances of recovery
An alcohol and drug rehabilitation provider near Esperance vows to review its program after former residents raise concerns about its reliance on unqualified staff and limited mental health support.
Photo shows A sign says 'Teen Challenge Grace Academy Grace Chapel'Calls for more frontline workers to be armed with drug-overdose-fighting medicine
As dangerous new opioids arrive on Australian streets, experts are calling for more frontline workers to be issued with naloxone, a medicine that can halt drug overdoses.
This powerlifting coach has taken performance-enhancing drugs for most of his adult life. He doesn't recommend it
Gus Cooke took illegal anabolic steroids for more than a decade and he doesn't recommend their use. A new drug-checking trial aims to minimise harm among steroid users.
Photo shows A man sits at a weight lifting bench inside a gymAuthorities warn of a drug 'so potent' users are more likely to die before they get addicted
South Australian authorities issue a public warning after a highly toxic synthetic opioid more powerful than morphine was linked to seven fatal overdoses.
Photo shows Bags of light brown powder on a table next to a dirty weighing machineDrivers to be tested for cocaine in SA as police expand roadside drug detections
Roadside drug testing will be bolstered in SA to allow for on-the-spot cocaine detection, as police seek to reduce the frequency of fatal crashes linked to the illicit substance.
Photo shows White power drug, sprinkled on reflective surface, with ziplock plastic bag.Tarnika found her mum living in a cardboard box and addicted to drugs
Like her mother, Tarnika became addicted to drugs and went to prison. The number of First Nations women being incarcerated is on the rise.
Photo shows A woman with long dark hair.'This drug can kill you in a tablet': Warnings over potentially deadly synthetic opioid
SA Health is warning of the life-threatening dangers of a synthetic opioid after an Adelaide man almost died in hospital when he consumed a single street-purchased oxycodone pill last week.
Photo shows A pile of tablets with embossed numbers and letters sits on a dark surfaceTough new liquor rules take effect in Kimberley towns to mixed community reactions
Brought in to reduce skyrocketing rates of alcohol-fuelled violence, the new rules take effect in Broome and Derby today.
Photo shows Liquor restrictions on display at Divers Tavern in Broome.More police to be sent to WA's far north to help enforce new alcohol restrictions
The number of police officers targeting alcohol-related crime in WA's remote Kimberley region will be bolstered ahead of new liquor restrictions coming into effect from next week.
Photo shows Steve Thompson stands outside of Broome Police StationDenise suspected something was wrong with her son — then found out he'd been in 'life and death' scenarios
If you've had concerns about a loved one's drug use and haven't known how to help them, you're not alone — new research shows most people don't know where to start.
Photo shows A woman looks out a window toward a garden.The psychology behind filicide — explaining the unexplainable
About 20 children are murdered by a parent every year in Australia. It's a crime that evokes equal measures of horror and confusion. At the crux of the issue is male-perpetrated violence.
Experts release plan to head off potentially fatal overdoses as fentanyl and nitazenes hit Victorian drug market
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes are already finding their way into Australia's drug supply. Experts are concerned surges in the drug could have fatal consequences and are calling on the government to prepare.
Photo shows A bag of heroin in an unidentifiable hand.Jet's mother was a sixties model who married rock royalty but her life met a tragic end
Jet James was eight when his mother died tragically. His journey back from childhood trauma led him in an unexpected direction.
Photo shows Angie King marries Eric BurdonDeaths of four people in Melbourne home linked to synthetic opioid, police say
Police say a synthetic opioid was detected in the systems of four people who died in a house in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne's north last week. A 17-year-old boy was among those who died.
Photo shows Officers in forensics uniforms outside a house.The dangerous street drug which is up to 1000 times stronger than morphine
Nitazenes are a new lethal drug that have been linked to mass overdoses and deaths in Australia. The synthetic opioid has authorities and health specialists on high alert, as it continues to appear in drugs ranging from heroin to cocaine and MDMA.
Has Video Duration: 8 minutes 15 seconds.Nitazenes are coming into Australia from India and China. Their effects are deadly
There are fears of more overdoses as nitazenes infiltrate Australia's underground drug supply, with occasional recreational drug users warned the synthetic opioid is being found in drugs like cocaine.
Photo shows A person holds a bag of nitazenes powder.Queensland to open second pill-testing clinic after promising Brisbane trial
The Gold Coast will host the state's second pill-testing clinic from July as the first of its kind in Brisbane is deemed a "success".
Photo shows A woman holds up a bag of powderOrganised crime targets Perth vape sellers with mafia-style intimidation, say police
Ahead of new laws cracking down on vape sales coming into effect next week, police are investigating reports bikie gangs are using stand-over tactics on small businesses selling nicotine vapes.
Photo shows A collection of vapes stacked in boxes on a table'We need to accept the evidence': Victorian government outlines details of pill testing trial
Pill testing will be rolled out across 10 Victorian festivals this summer and a fixed site will be established in the city in a bid to decrease drug overdoses.
Photo shows A scientist testing a pill-like substance.