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Simon Lenton

Professor and Director, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University

Simon Lenton is Director of the National Drug Research Institute, where he has worked since 1993. In addition, he works part time as a clinical psychologist in private practice. Simon previously worked for the WA Alcohol and Drug Authority for 7 years, as clinical psychologist and manager. His research interests include bridging the gap between drug policy research and drug policy practice, illicit drug use and harm reduction, impact of legislative options for drugs, availability of take-home naloxone, and drink and drug driving. His current research program includes evaluations of take-home naloxone programs in Australia, an international collaborative web survey of small-time cannabis cultivators, a study of social supply of cannabis, and a study of users of the online drug marketplace - Silk Road. He has published widely on drugs, health and the law and provided advice to a range of government and private organisations, both in Australia and internationally, on evidence based drug policy and other drug issues. His publications have appeared in journals such as Addiction,The International Journal of Drug Policy, Drug and Alcohol Review, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, The Journal of Drug Issues, Medical Journal of Australia, and Behaviour Research and Therapy. He was a deputy editor of Drug and Alcohol Review from 1997 to 2013 and edited the 'Harm Reduction Digest' that appeared in that journal.

Why do our friends want us to drink and dislike it when we don't?

Dec 29, 2016 11:14 am UTC| Life

Anyone who has ever tried to give up drinking, or goes somewhere and says theyre not drinking, knows people encourage us to drink and are unhappy when we dont. Why is this? Is it uniquely Australian? What can we do about...

Economy

U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Iran Ceasefire Talks and Trump Address

U.S. stock index futures held steady Wednesday evening as investors turned their attention to a primetime address from President Donald Trump regarding a possible military de-escalation with Iran. The cautious tone in...

Trump Claims Iran Sought Ceasefire as Middle East War Escalates

Tensions in the Middle East reached a new flashpoint this week as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly claimed that a senior Iranian official requested a ceasefire, a statement Tehran swiftly and firmly rejected. The...

Oil Prices Slide as Iran Tensions Ease and U.S. Crude Stockpiles Swell

Oil prices continued their downward trend during Asian trading hours on Thursday, pressured by fading geopolitical risk and a larger-than-expected rise in American crude stockpiles. Brent crude futures for June delivery...

Gold Prices Surge as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Talks Spark Market Optimism

Gold prices climbed sharply on Wednesday, marking the sixth gain in eight sessions as easing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran renewed investor appetite for the precious metal. Spot gold XAU/USD rose...

South Korea's Inflation Rises Modestly in March Amid Oil Price Pressures

South Koreas consumer inflation climbed at a slower-than-anticipated pace in March, offering mild relief even as surging global oil prices driven by the ongoing Iran war continued to weigh on the broader economy. The...

Politics

Congress Eyes Two-Bill Strategy to Resolve DHS Funding Crisis

Republican congressional leaders have unveiled a two-pronged legislative strategy to end the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding deadlock, aiming to reopen the agency, ensure federal workers receive back pay,...

Trump's Claim That the U.S. Can Cover Global Jet Fuel Shortfall Doesn't Add Up

President Donald Trump urged nations facing jet fuel shortages caused by Irans blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to simply purchase their supply from the United States. We have plenty, Trump posted on Truth Social. But...

FBI Launches Independent Cuba Probe After Deadly Speedboat Shootout

A team of FBI agents traveled to Cuba this week to conduct an independent investigation into a deadly maritime confrontation involving ten Cuban exiles who attempted to infiltrate the island by speedboat under cover of...

Carney and Trump Discuss Middle East Crisis in High-Stakes Phone Call

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump connected over the phone on Wednesday to address the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, among other pressing global issues. The call marked another...

Bahamas Calls Snap Election for May 12 Amid Cost of Living Concerns

Prime Minister Philip Davis announced Wednesday that the Bahamas will hold an early general election on May 12, moving the vote several months ahead of its originally scheduled mid-October date. Davis confirmed he will...

Science

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Technology

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Annie Altman Amends Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Annie Altman has filed an amended civil lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of sexually abusing her over a span of nearly a decade. The amended complaint was submitted Wednesday in St. Louis...

TSMC Japan's Second Fab to Produce 3nm Chips by 2028

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has confirmed plans to begin equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers at its second fabrication plant in...

Apple Turns 50: From Garage Startup to AI Crossroads

In early 1976, engineer Steve Wozniak finished designing a computer circuit board he planned to share with fellow hobbyists at a local California tech club. His friend Steve Jobs recognized a commercial opportunity, and...

Rubio Directs U.S. Diplomats to Use X and Military Psyops to Counter Foreign Propaganda

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to leverage social media platform X and collaborate with Pentagon psychological operations units as part of a broader strategy to combat foreign...